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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. press — a publisher
  5. chip — for betting
  6. club — for golf
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. club — a group
  10. craft — boats
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. season — in sport
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. chip — to eat
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. craft — a skill
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. club — for dancing
  19. season — of the year
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — to push
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. craft — a handicraft

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