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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: mouse · club · ball · foot · game · bowl · tear · swing

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. game — a match
  4. tear — to rip
  5. club — for dancing
  6. swing — in golf
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for golf
  17. foot — a measure
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. swing — to play on
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — from crying
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. swing — music

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