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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: ball · firm · craft · jam · bat · saw · track · land

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a dance
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. firm — a company
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. firm — steady
  8. craft — a skill
  9. firm — decided
  10. land — ground
  11. track — a song
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — boats
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bat — the animal
  20. land — a country
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a path
  24. land — to come down

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