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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: land · can · saw · ball · staff · content · deal · bear

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a great time
  5. saw — the tool
  6. deal — to handle
  7. saw — the tool
  8. land — ground
  9. can — a tin
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bear — the animal
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — a country
  15. bear — the animal
  16. can — to be able to
  17. content — the amount
  18. staff — a stick
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. ball — a dance
  22. can — a tin
  23. content — happy
  24. staff — employees

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