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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: ground · bark · ball · calf · tube · row · deal · lie

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — a position
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. row — a line
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. tube — a container
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. ball — a dance
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. ground — the earth
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. row — to paddle
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. row — a quarrel

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