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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fall — the season
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. net — for catching
  5. club — a group
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. cap — a lid
  8. swing — music
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. swing — to play on
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. club — for golf
  14. prune — to trim
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. cap — of ice
  19. club — for dancing
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cap — a hat
  24. swing — in golf

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