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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: spell · deal · sharp · mouse · stem · pit · land · board

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pit — a hole
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. board — a committee
  12. spell — a short time
  13. pit — in a race
  14. stem — to come from
  15. spell — magic
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. land — a country
  19. sharp — clever
  20. land — to come down
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. board — to get on
  24. spell — letters

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