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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. wound — an injury
  5. band — a ring
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cap — a hat
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. plane — a tool
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. cap — of ice
  17. deal — to handle
  18. cap — a lid
  19. band — a music group
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stand — to bear
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. cell — in biology

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