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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: ball · pop · bowl · mouse · trunk · drill · calf · key

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. key — the most important part
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. drill — the tool
  9. pop — music
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. ball — a great time
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. key — for a lock
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. drill — a practice
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. key — in music
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pop — soda
  24. drill — army training

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