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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: net · row · ball · calf · rush · bowl · arm · last

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. ball — a great time
  3. row — a line
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. net — after costs
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. last — to go on
  14. rush — hurry
  15. net — for catching
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. last — finally
  18. net — in sport
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. last — final
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. arm — part of the body

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