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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.

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: key · bowl · pitcher · wake · row · stand · ball · tear

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. key — in music
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. wake — a trail
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. tear — from crying
  17. ball — a dance
  18. tear — to rip
  19. row — a line
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. key — for a lock
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. key — the most important part

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