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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 · fan · mug · rush · can · fall · ground · row

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. mug — a cup
  5. ground — crushed
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ball — a dance
  8. row — a line
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. row — to paddle
  11. fall — the season
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. ball — a great time
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. rush — hurry
  20. ground — the earth
  21. can — to be able to
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — to rob
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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