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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: calf · fan · board · pit · toast · band · tear · ball

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. ball — a great time
  3. board — a committee
  4. tear — from crying
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. band — a music group
  7. toast — bread
  8. tear — to rip
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. band — a ring
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pit — in a race
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. tear — from crying
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. pit — a hole
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. ball — a dance
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. toast — the most admired

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