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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: pop · stem · spell · racket · bowl · calf · squash · game

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. squash — the sport
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. spell — a short time
  9. squash — to crush
  10. pop — to visit
  11. spell — magic
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. pop — music
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. game — a match
  18. game — wild animals
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. spell — letters
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. calf — of the leg

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