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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. chip — for betting
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. fall — to drop
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. rock — music
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. drill — a practice
  17. pit — a hole
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. chip — to eat
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. pit — in a race
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bowl — to roll

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