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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: bay · deal · rock · staff · ball · land · spring · fan

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. deal — to handle
  6. land — a country
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. staff — a stick
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. staff — employees
  11. ball — a great time
  12. land — ground
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. staff — employees
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. spring — of water
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. rock — music
  21. land — to come down
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — the season
  24. rock — a stone

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