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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: deal · safe · wake · ball · land · content · ground · wave

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  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. land — ground
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. ball — a dance
  6. content — happy
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. content — the amount
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. deal — to handle
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. ground — the earth
  15. land — to come down
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. ground — crushed
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. ground — a position
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. land — a country
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. safe — out of danger
  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