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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: bass · fall · club · nail · game · rush · present · bear

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  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. present — the time now
  2. game — a match
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. present — there
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. club — for golf
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fall — to drop
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. present — a gift
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bear — the animal
  17. club — for dancing
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. club — a group
  22. bass — low music
  23. game — wild animals
  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