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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.

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: ruler · calf · fan · fine · press · plane · game · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. game — a match
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. plane — a tool
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. game — wild animals
  11. ball — a dance
  12. fine — all right
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. press — to push
  15. press — a publisher
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. press — newspapers
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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