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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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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. suit — in cards
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. prune — to trim
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — wild animals
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. suit — clothes
  11. game — a match
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — a group
  17. wax — to grow
  18. field — a subject
  19. prune — to trim
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. field — for sport
  22. suit — to fit
  23. field — farmland
  24. club — for golf

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