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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. club — for dancing
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. bear — the animal
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. kick — in football
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — a group
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. hand — help
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. hand — in cards
  22. chip — to eat
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. bear — the animal

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