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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: track · ball · calf · bowl · pitcher · lean · row · charge

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. lean — to bend
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. charge — electricity
  10. row — a line
  11. track — a path
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. charge — a price
  15. ball — a dance
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. track — to keep track
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. lean — thin
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. charge — in control
  23. track — a song
  24. pitcher — in 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