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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
468
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 · pound · season · arm · kid · fan · bat · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bat — the animal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. kid — to tease
  9. season — in sport
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. kid — child
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. season — of the year
  20. fine — all right
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. fan — a supporter

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