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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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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. saw — the tool
  4. key — in music
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. ball — a dance
  9. stand — to bear
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. key — the most important part
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. key — for a lock
  17. game — a match
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. game — wild animals
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. 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