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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: clip · ball · racket · bowl · field · safe · calf · rock

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — a video
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. rock — music
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. field — a subject
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — for sport
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a great time
  22. clip — for paper
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. calf — a young animal

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