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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · ball · arm · leaves · tube · fork · shower · capital

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. fork — in a road
  3. ball — a dance
  4. shower — rain
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. capital — money
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. tube — a container
  15. ball — a great time
  16. toast — bread
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. tube — the underground
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. shower — to wash

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com