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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: deal · stand · ground · land · fall · game · wax · ball

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. ground — the earth
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. deal — to handle
  6. ball — a great time
  7. fall — the season
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. ball — a dance
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. game — a match
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — ground
  15. game — wild animals
  16. stand — to bear
  17. fall — to drop
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. land — a country
  20. wax — to grow
  21. ground — a position
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. ground — crushed

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