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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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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. pop — soda
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. content — happy
  6. ball — a great time
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. rest — a break
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. pop — to visit
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. pop — music
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. rest — what's left
  23. content — the amount
  24. rest — what's left

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