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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — tied together
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for golf
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. club — for dancing
  13. track — a song
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bound — certain
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. chip — to eat
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. track — a path
  23. chip — for betting
  24. calf — of the leg

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