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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
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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: club · bowl · ball · deal · staff · trunk · rash · foot

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. club — for golf
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. staff — employees
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. staff — employees
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. staff — a stick
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. club — a group
  23. ball — a great time
  24. deal — to handle

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