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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.

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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: bore · fan · cap · arm · band · capital · nail · firm

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. band — a ring
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. firm — decided
  6. cap — of ice
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bore — to tire
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bore — to drill
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. cap — a lid
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. firm — a company
  17. cap — a hat
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — money
  23. firm — steady
  24. capital — a city

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