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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: club · bay · rest · fall · file · temple · ground · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — a group
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. file — a tool
  7. ground — a position
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. fall — to drop
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. file — a line of people
  14. ground — the earth
  15. rest — a break
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. ground — crushed
  18. club — for dancing
  19. fall — to drop
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. file — a document
  22. rest — what's left
  23. fall — the season
  24. ball — a dance

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