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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: pit · pop · can · bowl · roll · kick · mine · hide

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. pop — soda
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. roll — a list
  13. kick — in football
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. roll — a cake
  16. can — a tin
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pop — to visit
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pop — music

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