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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: hand · ball · jam · fork · firm · cap · land · present

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. ball — a great time
  3. land — a country
  4. cap — a hat
  5. fork — in a road
  6. hand — in cards
  7. present — a gift
  8. ball — a dance
  9. cap — of ice
  10. present — the time now
  11. firm — a company
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. present — there
  14. hand — help
  15. cap — a lid
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. land — ground
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — decided
  24. hand — part of the body

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