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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fall — to drop
  3. hand — in cards
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. hand — help
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. club — a group
  9. current — happening now
  10. rock — music
  11. fine — high quality
  12. rock — a stone
  13. row — to paddle
  14. club — for dancing
  15. fine — all right
  16. row — a line
  17. current — of water
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. current — electric
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. club — for golf
  24. rock — to move gently

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