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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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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: fall · fan · fine · straw · mark · pop · net · pit

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. net — in sport
  3. mark — a trace
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mark — a grade
  6. pit — in a race
  7. net — after costs
  8. pop — music
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pit — a hole
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pop — soda
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — high quality
  20. net — for catching
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. fine — all right
  23. pop — to visit
  24. fan — a supporter

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