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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. court — of law
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. board — to get on
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. board — a committee
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. court — of a king
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rock — music
  19. bat — the animal
  20. rock — a stone
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. court — for sport
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bat — in an idiom

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