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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. tube — a container
  4. foot — a measure
  5. lie — to recline
  6. pop — music
  7. fork — in a road
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bore — to drill
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bore — to tire
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. pop — soda
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pop — to visit

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