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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: bass · land · board · deal · drill · ground · date · mate

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. mate — a partner
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. land — to come down
  6. ground — a position
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bass — low music
  9. land — ground
  10. drill — army training
  11. bass — the fish
  12. drill — a practice
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a committee
  15. ground — crushed
  16. mate — to breed
  17. drill — the tool
  18. land — a country
  19. ground — the earth
  20. mate — a friend
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. date — on the calendar

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