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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: hand · bowl · bay · deal · season · race · cap · fan

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. hand — in cards
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. season — of the year
  10. hand — help
  11. deal — to handle
  12. race — a contest
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. season — in sport
  22. race — humankind
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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