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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: date · staff · drill · plane · ball · saw · deal · bass

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bass — low music
  4. ball — a great time
  5. drill — a practice
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. ball — a dance
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. saw — the tool
  10. drill — army training
  11. bass — the fish
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. date — the fruit
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. staff — employees
  17. drill — the tool
  18. staff — a stick
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. staff — employees
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. saw — the tool
  24. plane — a tool

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