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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: tube · last · bowl · can · fan · ground · mine · cap

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  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 — a position
  2. last — to go on
  3. ground — crushed
  4. can — a tin
  5. tube — the underground
  6. mine — for digging
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. ground — the earth
  9. can — to be able to
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. cap — of ice
  12. last — finally
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. tube — a container
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — a hat
  20. last — final
  21. can — a tin
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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