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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 · pass · nail · club · rock · staff · bat · object

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. club — a group
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — a thing
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. club — for dancing
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pass — a permit
  11. club — for golf
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. rock — music
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. staff — employees
  21. bat — the animal
  22. rock — a stone
  23. object — an aim
  24. bat — for baseball

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