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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.

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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: can · rest · content · calf · lean · bowl · game · race

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. game — wild animals
  5. race — a contest
  6. can — a tin
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rest — a break
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. lean — thin
  13. race — humankind
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. rest — what's left
  17. content — the amount
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. can — a tin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. race — the arms race
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rest — what's left
  24. content — happy

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