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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: bass · ball · deal · bear · pit · land · roll · bat

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. ball — a great time
  6. roll — a cake
  7. pit — in a race
  8. deal — to handle
  9. pit — a hole
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bat — the animal
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bass — low music
  16. land — a country
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. land — to come down
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bear — the animal
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a list
  24. land — ground

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