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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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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 · game · chip · bank · row · bat · calf · lean

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  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. bat — the animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bank — for money
  6. chip — to eat
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. lean — to bend
  14. row — a line
  15. bank — of a river
  16. lean — thin
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bank — for money
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. game — a match
  23. bowl — a dish
  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