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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. fork — in a road
  5. rock — music
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — in sport
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. squash — to crush
  11. can — a tin
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. season — of the year
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. rock — a stone
  22. date — the fruit
  23. squash — the sport
  24. calf — a young animal

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