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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. club — for golf
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. drill — army training
  5. mug — to rob
  6. wake — a trail
  7. net — for catching
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. net — after costs
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. drill — the tool
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mug — a face
  17. net — in sport
  18. club — for dancing
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. drill — a practice
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. club — a group
  24. mug — a cup

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