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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: pass · capital · mouse · date · game · fan · straw · rush

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. capital — a city
  4. pass — a permit
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. game — a match
  9. capital — money
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. game — wild animals
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rush — hurry
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. date — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. capital — a big letter

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