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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.

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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: bass · fine · fan · hand · club · craft · spell · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. hand — in cards
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. craft — a skill
  7. fine — all right
  8. spell — letters
  9. craft — boats
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bass — the fish
  13. club — a group
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. spell — a short time
  19. club — for dancing
  20. game — a match
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. spell — magic
  23. club — for golf
  24. hand — help

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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