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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 116 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. club — for dancing
  3. fall — the season
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bass — low music
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pit — in a race
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. club — a group
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — the fish
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. club — for golf
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pound — a weight

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