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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. ball — a great time
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mate — a friend
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. mate — a partner
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. fine — high quality
  10. mate — to breed
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. game — wild animals
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. shower — to wash
  17. ball — a dance
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. game — a match
  21. shower — rain
  22. fine — all right
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. ball — a round shape

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