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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. pound — a weight
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter

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