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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: fan · hide · can · club · pound · field · lash · bowl

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. club — for golf
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. club — a group
  6. pound — a weight
  7. field — farmland
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. field — for sport
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. can — a tin
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. club — for dancing
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. field — a subject
  24. hide — to keep secret

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