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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. club — for golf
  3. bass — low music
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. branch — a division
  6. suit — clothes
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. club — a group
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. suit — in cards
  14. pound — a weight
  15. tube — the underground
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bore — to tire
  19. tube — a container
  20. bass — the fish
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bore — to drill
  24. club — for dancing

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