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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.

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: scale · ground · nail · mine · stock · ball · bowl · club

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a dance
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. scale — in music
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. club — for golf
  9. ground — the earth
  10. stock — goods
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. club — for dancing
  13. scale — size or range
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. ground — crushed
  19. stock — shares
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ground — a position
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. club — a group
  24. stock — a soup base

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