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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: roll · ball · tube · hide · bat · chip · fork · rock

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. roll — a list
  3. chip — for betting
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. ball — a dance
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. tube — a container
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. roll — a cake
  12. ball — a great time
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — the animal
  17. fork — in a road
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. rock — a stone
  20. tube — the underground
  21. chip — to eat
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bat — for baseball

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