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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. swing — to play on
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. hand — in cards
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. hand — help
  12. court — of a king
  13. swing — music
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. court — for sport
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — a cake
  21. mark — a grade
  22. court — of law
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. swing — in golf

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