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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: deal · jam · roll · board · game · tube · lash · land

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. board — a committee
  5. game — a match
  6. roll — a cake
  7. tube — a container
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. tube — the underground
  10. land — a country
  11. roll — a list
  12. game — wild animals
  13. board — to get on
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. deal — to handle
  17. land — ground
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. board — a flat piece

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