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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. suit — to fit
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. toast — bread
  5. game — a match
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. court — of a king
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. suit — in cards
  12. saw — the tool
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. suit — clothes
  16. game — wild animals
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. court — of law
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. court — for sport
  24. toast — the most admired

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