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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 · wake · content · hand · racket · cabinet · land · fan

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. hand — help
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. land — a country
  6. land — to come down
  7. hand — in cards
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. land — ground
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. content — happy
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. content — the amount
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. racket — for tennis

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