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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.

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: bowl · game · calf · current · rock · bat · racket · fork

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. game — wild animals
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. current — of water
  9. game — a match
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bat — the animal
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. fork — to eat with
  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