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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 120 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: deal · calf · fan · wax · pop · perch · mug · club

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. pop — to visit
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mug — a cup
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mug — to rob
  10. club — for dancing
  11. pop — music
  12. mug — a face
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. club — for golf
  18. pop — soda
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. perch — the fish
  22. club — a group
  23. deal — to handle
  24. fan — to cool the air

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