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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: bowl · hand · bat · kick · roll · ball · lie · club

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a dance
  5. kick — in football
  6. club — a group
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. ball — a great time
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. club — for dancing
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. roll — a list
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. lie — to recline
  19. club — for golf
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — help
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bowl — a dish

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