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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 120 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. row — to paddle
  3. chest — a box
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. ball — a dance
  6. chest — of your body
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. chest — of your body
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — child
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. ball — a great time
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. game — wild animals
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. game — a match
  23. row — a line
  24. kid — to tease

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