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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: capital · date · fork · jam · fan · shower · season · mark

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — to wash
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. fork — in a road
  11. capital — money
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. capital — a city
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mark — a grade
  19. date — the fruit
  20. season — of the year
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a trace
  24. fork — to eat with

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