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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 · board · can · stem · land · craft · band · mark

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — a committee
  5. can — a tin
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. craft — a skill
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. can — a tin
  12. board — to get on
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. land — to come down
  16. craft — boats
  17. land — a country
  18. band — a ring
  19. can — to be able to
  20. mark — a trace
  21. land — ground
  22. mark — a grade
  23. deal — to handle
  24. mark — to pay attention

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