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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: ground · bat · deal · club · ball · nail · charge · foot

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. charge — a price
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bat — the animal
  9. ball — a dance
  10. foot — a measure
  11. club — a group
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. deal — to handle
  14. ground — a position
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — in control
  23. club — for dancing
  24. ground — the earth

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