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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 · tube · club · jam · net · ground · drill · wave

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. drill — army training
  5. net — for catching
  6. drill — a practice
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. ground — a position
  9. club — a group
  10. net — after costs
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — the underground
  14. ground — the earth
  15. club — for dancing
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. ground — crushed
  21. tube — a container
  22. net — in sport
  23. drill — the tool
  24. club — for golf

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