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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 116 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: bass · rest · march · kid · fan · mark · can · file

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bass — the fish
  3. file — a document
  4. kid — to tease
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. mark — a grade
  8. can — to be able to
  9. rest — a break
  10. bass — low music
  11. can — a tin
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rest — what's left
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. file — a tool
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. can — a tin
  19. march — music
  20. file — a line of people
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mark — to pay attention

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