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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: fine · lean · mouse · wake · ball · bowl · straw · ground

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. wake — a trail
  9. fine — high quality
  10. lean — to bend
  11. ground — a position
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. ground — the earth
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. lean — thin
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. ball — a dance
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. fine — all right
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. mouse — the animal

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