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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: firm · rule · fan · chest · nail · club · arm · game

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for dancing
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. game — a match
  8. firm — a company
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — a law
  13. chest — a box
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. chest — of your body
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. firm — steady
  20. chest — of your body
  21. game — wild animals
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. firm — decided
  24. club — for golf

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