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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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468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rest — what's left
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bass — the fish
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rest — a break
  13. bass — low music
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — a permit
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pound — a weight
  21. rest — what's left
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. pound — to hit hard

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