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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: sharp · calf · pitcher · bound · fan · snap · press · game

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. press — to push
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to click
  10. press — a publisher
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. game — wild animals
  13. bound — certain
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bound — tied together
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. game — a match
  19. press — newspapers
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bound — obliged
  24. calf — of the leg

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