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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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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 · ball · deal · bass · ground · board · club · fine

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — for golf
  4. ground — a position
  5. ball — a dance
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. ground — the earth
  8. fine — all right
  9. bass — low music
  10. board — to get on
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. board — a committee
  13. ball — a great time
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. ground — crushed
  16. deal — to handle
  17. fine — high quality
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. club — a group
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bass — the fish

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