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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: deal · stand · kid · face · season · key · board · can

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. board — to get on
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. can — a tin
  10. board — a committee
  11. face — to confront
  12. can — to be able to
  13. kid — to tease
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. face — part of the head
  16. key — the most important part
  17. kid — child
  18. can — a tin
  19. face — to point toward
  20. key — for a lock
  21. deal — to handle
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — of the year
  24. key — in music

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