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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 · court · game · cue · roll · rash · leaves · calf

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. game — wild animals
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. cue — a signal
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. roll — a cake
  8. rash — hasty
  9. game — a match
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. court — of law
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rash — a series
  21. roll — a list
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of a king

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