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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 120 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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. net — after costs
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. cap — of ice
  11. wake — a trail
  12. stand — to bear
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. cap — a lid
  16. net — in sport
  17. dip — to sink
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — a group
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. plane — a tool
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. cap — a hat
  24. net — for catching

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