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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 120 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 · fine · fall · pass · craft · rock · ball · mouse

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. ball — a great time
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pass — a permit
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. craft — a skill
  24. fall — the season

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