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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · track · bowl · club · fan · object

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. club — for dancing
  5. track — a path
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. object — an aim
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. track — a song
  10. club — for golf
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. object — a thing
  13. track — to keep track
  14. object — to protest
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. game — a match
  17. game — wild animals
  18. club — a group

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