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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pop · cabinet · track · cap · fan · fork · fall · squash

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. track — a song
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cap — of ice
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pop — music
  9. cap — a lid
  10. pop — soda
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fall — to drop
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. squash — to crush
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. track — a path
  20. track — to keep track
  21. pop — to visit
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cap — a hat

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