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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.

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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: mark · stick · pit · calf · leaves · bowl · game · lie

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. pit — in a race
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. lie — to recline
  13. game — a match
  14. pit — a hole
  15. mark — a grade
  16. game — wild animals
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — to pay attention

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