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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. fine — all right
  5. toast — bread
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. saw — the tool
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. net — for catching
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. content — happy
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. saw — the tool
  17. content — the amount
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — in sport
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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