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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
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: fan · drill · bass · ball · cap · vault · lie · capital

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. ball — a great time
  3. cap — a lid
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. cap — a hat
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bass — the fish
  11. capital — a city
  12. drill — army training
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. cap — of ice
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. ball — a dance
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bass — low music
  22. vault — a safe
  23. drill — the tool
  24. lie — an untruth

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