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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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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: fine · band · rock · fan · club · file

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fine — all right
  4. rock — a stone
  5. band — a ring
  6. club — a group
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a document
  15. club — for golf
  16. rock — music
  17. fine — high quality
  18. band — a music 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