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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: track · can · stick · court · bass · deal · tear · land

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. can — a tin
  3. tear — from crying
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. court — of a king
  6. can — a tin
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. land — ground
  9. can — to be able to
  10. court — for sport
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — low music
  13. court — of law
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. track — a song
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. tear — to rip
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. track — to keep track
  21. land — to come down
  22. track — a path
  23. land — a country
  24. tear — from crying

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