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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: capital · kick · fine · mine · jam · lean · fan · toast

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. capital — money
  3. lean — to bend
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. lean — thin
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fine — high quality
  14. mine — for digging
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. kick — in football
  18. capital — a city
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. fine — all right
  22. toast — bread
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. kick — with a leg

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