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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. stock — goods
  8. snap — to click
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — to breed
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. mate — a partner
  14. spell — a short time
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. spell — magic
  18. stock — shares
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. spell — letters
  24. pound — a weight

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