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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: nail · deal · bowl · bat · chip · march · key · ball

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. key — in music
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. key — the most important part
  13. march — music
  14. key — for a lock
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. chip — for betting
  18. deal — to handle
  19. ball — a dance
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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