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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: stand · fine · cap · fan · capital · track · net · racket

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. net — in sport
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. track — to keep track
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — high quality
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. cap — a hat
  10. track — a song
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. stand — to bear
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. net — after costs
  15. cap — a lid
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fine — all right
  18. track — a path
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a city
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. net — for catching

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