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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: roll · cap · cue · can · chair · sharp · fan · temple

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. chair — a leader
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. cap — a lid
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. roll — a cake
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. sharp — clever
  12. roll — a list
  13. cap — of ice
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cue — a signal
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. can — a tin
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. can — to be able to

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