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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: track · ball · saw · can · bear · chest · ruler · land

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. land — to come down
  3. can — to be able to
  4. saw — the tool
  5. land — ground
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. ball — a great time
  8. chest — a box
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. track — a song
  12. bear — the animal
  13. chest — of your body
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. track — a path
  17. land — a country
  18. can — a tin
  19. chest — of your body
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. can — a tin
  22. track — to keep track
  23. ball — a dance
  24. saw — the tool

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