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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. court — for sport
  7. chip — to eat
  8. board — to get on
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. board — a committee
  19. chip — for betting
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. rush — to hurry

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