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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. trunk — of an elephant
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. net — for catching
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. net — in sport
  8. cue — a signal
  9. net — after costs
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. cue — a hint
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pound — a weight
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. fan — a supporter
  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