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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. drill — the tool
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. rock — music
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. rock — a stone
  8. roll — a cake
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. roll — a list
  12. scale — in music
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. drill — army training
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — in golf
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. swing — music
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. scale — for weighing

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