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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: game · bowl · mark · ball · fine · bore · pitcher · club

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. mark — a grade
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mark — a trace
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. club — a group
  8. fine — high quality
  9. game — a match
  10. fine — all right
  11. club — for dancing
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. ball — a great time
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — to tire
  24. club — for golf

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