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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. rock — a stone
  3. drill — a practice
  4. squash — the sport
  5. rock — music
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. roll — a cake
  8. track — a song
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. drill — the tool
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. track — to keep track
  18. roll — a list
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. drill — army training
  22. track — a path
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. roll — on a roll

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