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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.

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: ground · bowl · ball · wake · row · chip · wave · court

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. ball — a dance
  3. chip — to eat
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. court — for sport
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. ground — a position
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. row — a line
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. ground — the earth
  17. court — of law
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. court — of a king
  24. wake — a trail

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