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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: key · game · bowl · foot · vault · can · ball · row

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. key — for a lock
  8. can — a tin
  9. key — the most important part
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. can — a tin
  14. foot — a measure
  15. can — to be able to
  16. vault — a safe
  17. ball — a great time
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. game — wild animals
  22. row — a line
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. game — a match

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