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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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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: bass · arm · fan · mark · mouse · club · suit · wind

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bass — low music
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — for golf
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bass — the fish
  21. mark — a grade
  22. club — a group
  23. mark — a trace
  24. suit — 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