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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. field — farmland
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. content — happy
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. content — the amount
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — for sport
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. tube — a container
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. tube — the underground

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