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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 116 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: capital · stand · shower · fan · racket · ruler · wind · dip

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. capital — a city
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. capital — money
  7. wind — moving air
  8. shower — rain
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. dip — to sink
  13. wind — moving air
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. shower — to wash
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stand — to bear
  24. wind — to turn a key

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