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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: calf · pop · bowl · hand · row · patient · chip · mate

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. pop — soda
  3. row — a line
  4. pop — music
  5. mate — a friend
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. row — to paddle
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. pop — to visit
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. mate — to breed
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mate — a partner
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. chip — for betting
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — in cards

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