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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 116 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: ball · land · can · ground · board · cabinet

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. land — ground
  3. board — to get on
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ground — crushed
  6. land — to come down
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. ground — a position
  9. can — a tin
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. board — a committee
  12. land — a country
  13. ground — the earth
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. ball — a dance

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