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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: band · arm · bound · ball · rush · deal · saw · ground

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. rush — hurry
  5. ball — a dance
  6. band — a ring
  7. deal — to handle
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ground — crushed
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bound — obliged
  14. ground — the earth
  15. band — a music group
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. saw — the tool
  19. ball — a great time
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — certain
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. ground — a position

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