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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fork — in a road
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. cell — a phone
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — music
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. cell — in biology
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a ring
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. hand — help
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. hand — in cards

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