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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · kid · fan · kick · jam · trunk · roll · club

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a list
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. kick — in football
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — to tease
  11. club — for golf
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. roll — a cake
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. toast — bread
  20. club — a group
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. club — for dancing

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