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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: bay · deal · rock · staff · ball · land

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. land — to come down
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. staff — a stick
  5. rock — music
  6. land — ground
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. staff — employees
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. rock — a stone
  11. land — a country
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. staff — employees
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a great time
  18. deal — an agreement

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