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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bound · game · date · tube · fan · roll · calf · nail

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. tube — a container
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. game — wild animals
  7. roll — a cake
  8. bound — certain
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. tube — the underground
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. roll — a list
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bound — obliged
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. bound — tied together
  20. game — a match
  21. date — the fruit
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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