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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: fine · deal · fan · bass · cue · pitcher · nail · wound

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bass — the fish
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cue — for pool
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. fine — high quality
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bass — low music
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. fine — all right
  22. cue — a hint
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wound — an injury

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