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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bat — the animal
  3. game — a match
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. march — music
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. march — the month
  14. bank — for money
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. march — the month
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bank — of a river
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bank — for money
  24. calf — of the leg

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