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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: hand · file · net · clip · capital · fan · deal · bay

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. hand — in cards
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. file — a tool
  5. capital — money
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. clip — to cut
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. capital — a city
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. clip — for paper
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. net — in sport
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. net — after costs
  18. deal — to handle
  19. net — for catching
  20. clip — a video
  21. hand — help
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. hand — part of the body

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