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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: nail · season · race · cell · bowl · coach · can · tube

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. season — of the year
  9. race — a contest
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. race — humankind
  12. can — a tin
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. season — in sport
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. tube — a container
  20. cell — a phone
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. cell — in biology
  24. tube — the underground

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