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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. root — the cause
  4. mark — a grade
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. root — of a plant
  9. mark — a trace
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. staff — a stick
  12. charge — in control
  13. root — of a word
  14. game — wild animals
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. charge — electricity
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. charge — a price
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. staff — employees
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. staff — employees
  23. can — a tin
  24. game — a match

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