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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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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 · fine · race · coach · ball · mine

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. 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. ball — a great time
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. race — a contest
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — for digging
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. race — humankind
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — high quality
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. race — the arms race
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. 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