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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: calf · season · bat · bowl · arm · dip · racket · stand

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. season — of the year
  17. bat — the animal
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. stand — to bear
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. dip — to sink
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. season — in sport

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