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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: arm · capital · date · tear · bowl · game · fan · current

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. current — electric
  3. tear — from crying
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. game — a match
  7. tear — to rip
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. capital — money
  11. tear — from crying
  12. current — of water
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — the fruit
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. current — happening now
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. capital — a city
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bowl — a dish

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