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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: club · fall · rock · key · ball · branch · ruler · bowl

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. rock — music
  5. club — a group
  6. key — in music
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. club — for dancing
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. fall — to drop
  19. branch — a division
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — for a lock
  22. rock — a stone
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. fall — the season

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