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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
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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: fan · calf · bowl · can · current · toast · degree · pop

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. current — happening now
  3. toast — bread
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. degree — temperature
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. pop — music
  19. degree — from a university
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. pop — soda

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