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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: bear · squash · court · kick · fine · fan · tube · dip

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. squash — the sport
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bear — the animal
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. court — of a king
  11. dip — to sink
  12. fine — all right
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — in football
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bear — the animal
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. court — of law
  21. squash — to crush
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. court — for sport

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