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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · key · row · field · ruler · club · court · ball

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mine — for digging
  4. club — for golf
  5. court — for sport
  6. field — for sport
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — of law
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — a subject
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. row — a line
  18. key — for a lock
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. club — a group
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. row — to paddle
  23. ball — a dance
  24. club — for dancing

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