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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: kick · club · ball · bowl · mark · calf · staff · rash

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. staff — employees
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. club — for golf
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. club — a group
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. staff — employees
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. club — for dancing
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. mark — a grade
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rash — hasty
  21. kick — in football
  22. rash — a series
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a great time

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