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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 116 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: deal · spring · nail · cap · fork · ball · mate · staff

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — to breed
  4. ball — a dance
  5. spring — a coil
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. staff — employees
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. mate — a friend
  10. ball — a great time
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cap — a hat
  13. deal — to handle
  14. spring — of water
  15. fork — in a road
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. cap — of ice
  21. spring — the season
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. staff — employees
  24. cap — a lid

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