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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 · wave · tear · file · can · club · fork · racket

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. can — a tin
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a document
  6. club — a group
  7. file — a line of people
  8. club — for dancing
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. can — to be able to
  13. tear — from crying
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. can — a tin
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. club — for golf
  19. tear — from crying
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. tear — to rip
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. fork — to eat with

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