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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. net — for catching
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. face — to point toward
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. club — for golf
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. face — to confront
  14. net — after costs
  15. club — for dancing
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bass — the fish
  19. net — in sport
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bass — low music

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