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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: spell · capital · nail · saw · can · chip · fan · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. saw — the tool
  3. can — a tin
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. can — a tin
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. can — to be able to
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. capital — money
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — magic
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. spell — a short time
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. chip — for betting
  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