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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
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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: row · drill · club · degree · leaves · bat · bowl · ground

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. drill — army training
  3. club — a group
  4. ground — a position
  5. degree — an amount
  6. row — to paddle
  7. drill — the tool
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. degree — from a university
  10. row — a line
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bat — the animal
  14. club — for golf
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. ground — the earth
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. ground — crushed
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bowl — a dish

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