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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: court · club · bass · wound · lash · rock · bowl · mouse

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. court — of a king
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. club — for dancing
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. court — of law
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. court — for sport
  15. club — a group
  16. rock — music
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — low music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. mouse — the animal

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