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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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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: bowl · roll · stand · court · field · jam · club · pitcher

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. roll — a list
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. court — of a king
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — farmland
  12. roll — a cake
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. club — for dancing
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. club — a group
  17. stand — to bear
  18. court — for sport
  19. field — a subject
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. court — of law
  22. club — for golf
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. stand — for spectators

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