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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: arm · bowl · track · mark · bat · bay · fan · club

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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. track — to keep track
  4. club — a group
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. track — a path
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. club — for golf
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. mark — a trace
  16. track — a song
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bat — the animal
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bowl — to roll

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