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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 · mine · club · bat · ball · bowl · toast · fork

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. club — for golf
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bat — the animal
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. ground — the earth
  16. fork — in a road
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. club — a group
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. club — for dancing
  23. toast — bread
  24. bat — in an idiom

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