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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: date · hide · object · field · bowl · deal

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. object — an aim
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. object — a thing
  7. field — a subject
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. field — for sport
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. date — the fruit
  15. object — to protest
  16. field — farmland
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. deal — an agreement

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