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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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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 · last · board · ball · deal · present · racket · stick

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a dance
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. last — final
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. deal — to handle
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — finally
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. band — a music group
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. present — there
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. present — a gift
  21. band — a ring
  22. ball — a great time
  23. present — the time now
  24. band — a rubber band

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