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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.

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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: fan · scale · suit · mug · pit · club · tube · fall

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fall — the season
  3. club — a group
  4. mug — a cup
  5. suit — clothes
  6. fall — to drop
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. scale — in music
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — a container
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. tube — the underground
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pit — a hole
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a face
  20. fall — to drop
  21. club — for golf
  22. pit — in a race
  23. suit — in cards
  24. club — for dancing

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