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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wax — to grow
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. game — wild animals
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. pitch — completely
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. game — a match
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. calf — of the leg

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