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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: fine · mark · leaves · fan · pop · pass · shower · key

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. shower — to wash
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. pop — music
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. shower — rain
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pop — soda
  10. fine — all right
  11. key — the most important part
  12. pass — a permit
  13. fine — high quality
  14. key — in music
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mark — a grade
  19. key — for a lock
  20. mark — a trace
  21. pop — to visit
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pass — to spend time

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