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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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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: club · arm · mine · row · rock · ball

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. club — a group
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. rock — music
  6. club — for dancing
  7. rock — a stone
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. row — to paddle
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. ball — a great time
  16. row — a line
  17. club — for golf
  18. mine — for digging

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