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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · branch · deal · net · land · arm · safe · bowl

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. ball — a dance
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. land — a country
  5. branch — a division
  6. land — ground
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. ball — a great time
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. land — to come down
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. net — for catching
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. ball — a round shape

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