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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
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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: squash · current · bowl · chair · kid · calf · lie · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. squash — to crush
  4. kid — to tease
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. current — happening now
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. ball — a dance
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. chair — a leader
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. squash — the sport
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. current — electric
  19. kid — child
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. current — of water
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. squash — the vegetable

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