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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 116 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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bass — the fish
  3. club — a group
  4. court — of law
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. club — for dancing
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bass — low music
  10. game — a match
  11. court — for sport
  12. tear — to rip
  13. club — for golf
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. game — wild animals
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. tear — from crying
  21. court — of a king
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. game — a kind of play

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