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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 · ball · cell · coach · deal · march · dip · bowl

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. ground — crushed
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. deal — to handle
  5. ground — the earth
  6. cell — in biology
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a great time
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. march — the month
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. march — music
  19. ground — a position
  20. dip — to sink
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bowl — a football final

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