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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: safe · bowl · tube · bat · key · spell · jam · calf

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. key — the most important part
  6. tube — the underground
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. spell — letters
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. key — for a lock
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. key — in music
  17. spell — magic
  18. tube — a container
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. spell — a short time
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bat — the animal
  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