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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.

Make a worksheet

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: game · pitcher · staff · bear · foot · bowl · kid · hand

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. kid — child
  3. staff — employees
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. game — wild animals
  9. kid — to tease
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. staff — employees
  12. hand — in cards
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. game — a match
  16. foot — a measure
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bear — the animal
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. hand — help
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bear — to put up with

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