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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: swing · fall · bass · fine · fan · capital · cue · board

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fall — the season
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bass — low music
  6. fine — high quality
  7. cue — a signal
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cue — a hint
  13. capital — money
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. capital — a city
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. swing — in golf
  20. board — to get on
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. cue — for pool
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bass — the fish

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