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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
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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: bowl · roll · calf · jam · arm · ball · chair · saw

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  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 football final
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. roll — a list
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. ball — a great time
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. roll — a cake
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. saw — the tool
  18. ball — a dance
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. roll — on a roll
  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