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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. pop — soda
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pop — to visit
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bank — for money
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bank — for money
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. track — a path
  12. spring — the season
  13. track — a song
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bank — of a river
  17. season — in sport
  18. pop — music
  19. track — to keep track
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. stand — to bear
  22. season — of the year
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. spring — of water

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