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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. key — in music
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — to shout
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bat — the animal
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. key — for a lock
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. cap — of ice
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bowl — a dish

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