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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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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: fan · can · court · toast · bank · snap · cap · bay

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. can — a tin
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — of ice
  5. court — for sport
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bank — for money
  10. court — of a king
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. can — a tin
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. snap — to click
  20. court — of law
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. toast — bread

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