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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: drill · race · season · can · cue · field · bowl · spring

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. drill — the tool
  3. race — a contest
  4. drill — army training
  5. spring — a coil
  6. drill — a practice
  7. spring — of water
  8. can — a tin
  9. race — humankind
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. race — the arms race
  15. can — a tin
  16. field — farmland
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. season — of the year
  20. field — a subject
  21. cue — a hint
  22. spring — the season
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. cue — for pool

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