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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: stick · firm · land · wind · club · ball · bowl · pound

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — for golf
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. land — ground
  6. ball — a great time
  7. club — a group
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — steady
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pound — a weight
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. land — to come down
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. firm — a company
  23. ball — a dance
  24. land — a country

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