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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 · wound · toast · calf · hand · deal · content · pound

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. content — happy
  5. content — the amount
  6. toast — bread
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. deal — to handle
  12. wound — an injury
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pound — a weight
  18. hand — help
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. deal — a big deal

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