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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. kid — child
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rock — a stone
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. stand — to bear
  14. kid — to tease
  15. tube — a container
  16. kick — in football
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — a grade
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. rock — music
  24. fan — to cool the air

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