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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: bear · game · calf · mine · bowl · rock · pitcher · fine

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fine — all right
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. game — wild animals
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. game — a match
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rock — a stone
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. rock — music

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