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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. can — to be able to
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. can — a tin
  6. last — finally
  7. race — humankind
  8. can — a tin
  9. race — the arms race
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. land — to come down
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. track — a song
  14. club — a group
  15. track — to keep track
  16. last — final
  17. club — for golf
  18. race — a contest
  19. track — a path
  20. last — to go on
  21. land — ground
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. land — a country

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