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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: calf · mate · pound · spring · content · fan · foot · racket

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. mate — a friend
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. foot — a measure
  10. mate — a partner
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. content — happy
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. spring — a coil
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. spring — the season
  20. content — the amount
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. mate — to breed
  24. spring — of water

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