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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: club · can · nail · fine · pound · current · wound · fan

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. can — a tin
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. club — for golf
  8. current — electric
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. can — a tin
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. current — happening now
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. current — of water
  18. fine — all right
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pound — a weight
  21. fine — high quality
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. nail — for a hammer

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