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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: sharp · bear · board · jam · deal · land · ball · kid

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. ball — a dance
  5. deal — to handle
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. board — to get on
  8. sharp — clever
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. land — ground
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — a country
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. bear — the animal
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. board — a committee
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. ball — a great time
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — child
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bear — the animal

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