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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 · race · fan · bore · cabinet · fine · pound · content

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. content — happy
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. race — a contest
  10. bore — to tire
  11. race — the arms race
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bore — to drill
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fine — all right
  24. pound — to hit hard

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