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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bass — the fish
  7. cue — a hint
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. content — the amount
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bound — certain
  13. cue — for pool
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — obliged
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bass — low music
  24. content — happy

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