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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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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: bowl · calf · jam · chair · club · toast · drill · face

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. drill — the tool
  4. face — to confront
  5. drill — army training
  6. club — a group
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. toast — bread
  10. drill — a practice
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. face — to point toward
  13. club — for dancing
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. club — for golf
  19. face — part of the head
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. calf — a young animal

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