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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: mark · ball · game · bowl · nail · deal · cold · board

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  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. game — a match
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. ball — a dance
  5. cold — an illness
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. game — wild animals
  9. mark — a trace
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. board — a committee
  14. cold — not warm
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. mark — a grade
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. board — to get on
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. deal — to handle
  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