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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: bowl · bat · stand · bass · tube · clip · calf · charge

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. charge — in control
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. charge — a price
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. stand — to bear
  11. clip — a video
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. charge — electricity
  14. clip — for paper
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bass — low music
  24. tube — a container

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