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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 · foot · roll · bank · bat · ball · ground · toast

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. foot — a measure
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bank — for money
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. ground — a position
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. toast — bread
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bank — for money
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. roll — a list
  16. bank — of a river
  17. sharp — clever
  18. roll — a cake
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bat — the animal
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. foot — the bottom

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