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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.

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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: can · rock · foot · row · deal · drill · ball · club

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. foot — a measure
  4. drill — a practice
  5. ball — a dance
  6. club — for golf
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. can — to be able to
  11. drill — the tool
  12. club — a group
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. ball — a great time
  15. deal — to handle
  16. club — for dancing
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. row — to paddle
  19. drill — army training
  20. row — a line
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — a stone

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