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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. pitch — completely
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. tube — the underground
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. tube — a container
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. calf — a young animal

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