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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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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: game · prune · fan · calf · last · cabinet · pound · fine

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. game — wild animals
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. last — to go on
  9. game — a match
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. last — finally
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pound — a weight
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. last — final
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fine — high quality
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. fine — all right

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