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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: pop · land · mug · fan · jam · staff · kid · calf

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — music
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. mug — to rob
  7. staff — employees
  8. land — ground
  9. kid — child
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. mug — a face
  12. land — to come down
  13. pop — to visit
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. staff — employees
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. land — a country
  22. staff — a stick
  23. mug — a cup
  24. kid — to tease

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