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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: field · deal · bowl · season · coach · bank · ball · cap

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. season — in sport
  5. bank — for money
  6. field — farmland
  7. cap — of ice
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bank — for money
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. ball — a great time
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bank — of a river
  15. cap — a lid
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. field — a subject
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. field — for sport
  23. season — of the year
  24. deal — a big deal

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