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

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. rush — hurry
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. snap — to click
  9. bass — the fish
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. object — a thing
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — an aim
  17. club — for dancing
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bass — low music
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. club — for golf
  24. rush — a thrill

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