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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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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: drill · ball · land · stem · row · club · ground · bowl

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. row — to paddle
  3. land — a country
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. land — ground
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. drill — army training
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — a group
  11. ground — crushed
  12. club — for dancing
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ground — a position
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. land — to come down
  17. ball — a great time
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. ball — a dance
  21. row — a line
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — the tool
  24. stem — to come from

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