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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: nail · mouse · ball · toast · land · sharp · board · arm

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. toast — bread
  3. land — ground
  4. land — a country
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. ball — a dance
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. land — to come down
  18. sharp — clever
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. ball — a great time

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