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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. net — for catching
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. pit — a hole
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. root — of a plant
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bass — low music
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. root — of a word
  16. net — in sport
  17. bass — the fish
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. hand — help
  20. net — after costs
  21. sharp — clever
  22. pit — in a race
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bass — the instrument

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