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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 · stem · cap · coach · current · saw · land · ball

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cap — a hat
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. land — ground
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. stem — to come from
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. current — of water
  14. cap — a lid
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. cap — of ice
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — a country
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. current — electric
  23. current — happening now
  24. deal — to handle

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