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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: fall · game · fan · cap · pit · nail · fine · firm

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fall — to drop
  3. firm — decided
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. fine — all right
  6. firm — a company
  7. cap — of ice
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. fine — high quality
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. game — wild animals
  12. pit — a hole
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pit — in a race
  16. firm — steady
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. game — a match
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. cap — a hat
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cap — a lid

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