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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: stand · ground · cell · bark · club · ball · toast · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. toast — bread
  3. cell — in biology
  4. club — for dancing
  5. fine — high quality
  6. cell — a phone
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. ground — a position
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. club — for golf
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — crushed
  19. fine — all right
  20. bark — to shout
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. club — a group
  24. stand — on your feet

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