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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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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: spring · stand · pitcher · fan · calf · shower · swing · chip

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — music
  9. chip — to eat
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. chip — for betting
  12. spring — a coil
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — to wash
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. swing — to play on
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. spring — the season
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stand — to bear

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