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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 120 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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rock — music
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — a group
  8. game — a match
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. game — wild animals
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. club — for dancing
  14. rock — a stone
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. leaves — of a tree

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