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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 · deal · bowl · rash · rock · ground · fan · bulb

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. ground — crushed
  7. rock — music
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. rash — hasty
  11. ground — a position
  12. rash — a series
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bulb — for light
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. rock — a stone
  23. deal — to handle
  24. ground — the earth

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