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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: ground · racket · foot · bowl · straw · firm · net · bore

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — the earth
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bore — to drill
  9. foot — a measure
  10. firm — a company
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. net — after costs
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bore — to tire
  18. ground — a position
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. firm — steady
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. firm — decided

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