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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.

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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: court · wind · fan · race · cap · bank · plane · charge

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. court — of law
  5. court — of a king
  6. bank — for money
  7. race — the arms race
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. court — for sport
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. race — humankind
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. plane — a tool
  22. charge — in control
  23. race — a contest
  24. plane — in geometry

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