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

Word bank: bank · cap · suit · bowl · cell · present · race · deal

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. present — the time now
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bank — for money
  7. cap — a lid
  8. suit — in cards
  9. race — a contest
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a hat
  12. present — there
  13. race — humankind
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. present — a gift
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. suit — to fit
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bank — for money
  20. deal — to handle
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bank — of a river
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. suit — clothes

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