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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 120 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: ball · bat · face · club · bowl · mine · craft · vault

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. craft — boats
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. ball — a dance
  7. club — a group
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — the animal
  10. face — to confront
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — part of the head
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. mine — for digging
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — for dancing
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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