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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bass · perch · degree · hide · fine · capital · fan · cap

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bass — low music
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. capital — money
  7. cap — a hat
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fine — high quality
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. degree — temperature
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. degree — from a university
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fine — all right
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. capital — a city
  23. degree — an amount
  24. cap — a lid

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