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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: mug · club · rock · rash · ball · net · ground · stand

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. ball — a great time
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — hasty
  5. net — in sport
  6. ball — a dance
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — music
  10. ground — crushed
  11. club — for golf
  12. mug — to rob
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. rock — a stone
  15. club — a group
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. mug — a face
  18. net — after costs
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — a position
  22. club — for dancing
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. net — for catching

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