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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 · net · fan · lean · mouse · bass · rule · club

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. net — in sport
  3. fall — to drop
  4. lean — to bend
  5. rule — government
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fall — the season
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bass — low music
  11. lean — thin
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. rule — a law
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. net — after costs
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. club — for dancing
  20. fall — to drop
  21. club — a group
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bass — the fish
  24. net — for catching

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