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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. present — there
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. present — the time now
  6. club — for golf
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. game — wild animals
  10. club — a group
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. land — a country
  14. game — a match
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bat — the animal
  19. present — a gift
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. land — to come down
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. land — ground

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