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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  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. bowl — to roll
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. race — humankind
  4. court — for sport
  5. date — the fruit
  6. court — of law
  7. lie — to recline
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. foot — a measure
  13. object — to protest
  14. race — a contest
  15. object — a thing
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. club — a group
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. object — an aim
  23. race — the arms race
  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