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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. club — a group
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bass — the fish
  7. land — to come down
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. club — for golf
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bass — low music
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. toast — bread
  16. sharp — clever
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. land — ground
  21. land — a country
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. sharp — with an edge

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