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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: can · bowl · ground · season · deal · row · bat · bay

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. row — to paddle
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. season — in sport
  9. ground — crushed
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. ground — a position
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. season — of the year
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. row — a line
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bat — the animal
  24. ground — the earth

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