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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 120 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: cue · fan · club · nail · spring · stand · rule · band

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rule — a law
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. club — a group
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. rule — government
  10. club — for golf
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. cue — a hint
  13. spring — a coil
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cue — a signal
  17. band — a ring
  18. spring — the season
  19. band — a music group
  20. stand — to bear
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. spring — of water
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cue — for pool

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