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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: temple · tube · pitcher · kick · season · fan · rock · roll

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. tube — a container
  4. kick — in football
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. roll — a list
  7. season — of the year
  8. tube — the underground
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rock — music
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. roll — a cake
  18. rock — a stone
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — to add flavour

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