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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 · pop · deal · rest · club · face · bark · jam

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pop — music
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. deal — to handle
  8. club — a group
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to point toward
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. face — to confront
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. club — for golf
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — to shout
  20. club — for dancing
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pop — to visit

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