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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. rest — a break
  5. foot — a measure
  6. drill — army training
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pop — to visit
  10. mug — a cup
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pop — soda
  13. mug — to rob
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mug — a face
  20. row — a line
  21. drill — the tool
  22. rest — what's left
  23. drill — a practice
  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