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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 · land · pass · arm · ruler · club · content · game

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. content — the amount
  4. land — ground
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. club — for golf
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. land — to come down
  10. club — for dancing
  11. content — happy
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. land — a country
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. pass — a permit
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. game — wild animals
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. game — a match
  24. pass — to succeed

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