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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. can — to be able to
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. court — for sport
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. court — of a king
  9. squash — the sport
  10. club — for golf
  11. squash — to crush
  12. club — for dancing
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. can — a tin
  15. branch — a division
  16. pound — a weight
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. court — of law
  21. can — a tin
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bowl — to roll

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