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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: season · fan · last · wave · pitcher · fine · calf · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. season — of the year
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. season — in sport
  7. last — final
  8. last — to go on
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. last — finally
  16. fine — all right
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. fine — high quality
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. fine — a penalty

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