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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: deal · board · net · ball · cue · drill · spring · toast

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. net — for catching
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. spring — a coil
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. deal — to handle
  8. spring — of water
  9. board — a committee
  10. spring — the season
  11. net — after costs
  12. drill — the tool
  13. cue — for pool
  14. toast — bread
  15. board — to get on
  16. drill — army training
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. ball — a great time
  19. drill — a practice
  20. net — in sport
  21. cue — a signal
  22. ball — a dance
  23. cue — a hint
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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