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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
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: fan · roll · object · kick · pitcher · mouse · bowl · safe

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. roll — a list
  5. object — an aim
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. kick — in football
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. object — to protest
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. roll — a cake
  23. object — a thing
  24. bowl — a dish

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