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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.

Make a worksheet

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: club · fine · file · pitcher · wave · toast · object · fan

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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. file — a tool
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. object — a thing
  7. file — a document
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for dancing
  10. object — an aim
  11. fine — high quality
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. fine — all right
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. toast — bread
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. club — for golf
  19. file — a line of people
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. object — to protest
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. wave — with your hand

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