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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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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: sharp · ball · key · saw · club · bowl · temple · bound

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bound — certain
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. club — a group
  8. ball — a dance
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. sharp — clever
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. ball — a great time
  15. saw — the tool
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. club — for golf
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — tied together
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. key — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. temple — a place of worship

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