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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: cap · charge · ground · wound · craft · suit · club · fan

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cap — a hat
  3. suit — in cards
  4. ground — the earth
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. suit — clothes
  8. ground — crushed
  9. wound — an injury
  10. club — for dancing
  11. ground — a position
  12. cap — a lid
  13. club — a group
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. charge — electricity
  16. club — for golf
  17. suit — to fit
  18. charge — in control
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. craft — boats
  21. charge — a price
  22. wound — an injury
  23. cap — of ice
  24. craft — a skill

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