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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: foot · row · mark · ground · club · race · bat · rock

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. race — the arms race
  4. club — a group
  5. ground — a position
  6. mark — a trace
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. race — humankind
  11. club — for dancing
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bat — the animal
  14. rock — music
  15. mark — a grade
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. club — for golf
  18. row — a line
  19. race — a contest
  20. rock — a stone
  21. row — to paddle
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bat — for baseball

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