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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 120 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: ball · ground · cue · board · mate · mug · land · rock

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. mate — a partner
  3. ball — a great time
  4. land — a country
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mug — a face
  7. cue — for pool
  8. ground — the earth
  9. mug — a cup
  10. land — ground
  11. mug — to rob
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. board — to get on
  15. land — to come down
  16. rock — a stone
  17. cue — a signal
  18. ground — crushed
  19. board — a committee
  20. rock — music
  21. ball — a dance
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. mate — a friend
  24. ball — a round shape

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