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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: fan · present · capital · tube · kick · bass · ground · suit

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. present — there
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. capital — a city
  6. kick — in football
  7. bass — the fish
  8. ground — a position
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. present — the time now
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — low music
  16. capital — money
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. ground — crushed
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. suit — clothes
  22. tube — a container
  23. present — a gift
  24. fan — a supporter

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