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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kick · stem · bowl · present · drill · ball

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. kick — in football
  5. drill — a practice
  6. present — a gift
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. stem — to come from
  10. present — there
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. drill — army training
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. ball — a dance
  18. present — the time now

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