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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: ball · fall · club · mine · jam · board · bowl · root

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. ball — a great time
  9. mine — for digging
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — a group
  14. root — of a plant
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a dance
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. fall — the season
  22. root — of a word
  23. board — to get on
  24. root — the cause

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