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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: bowl · ground · mouse · land · jam · net · craft · band

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. band — a ring
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. craft — boats
  14. band — a music group
  15. ground — a position
  16. net — for catching
  17. ground — crushed
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — a country
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — in sport
  22. craft — a skill
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. land — ground

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