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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 120 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: bowl · field · ball · hand · key · cabinet · mate · season

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — a subject
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. mate — to breed
  7. key — for a lock
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. field — for sport
  10. hand — in cards
  11. ball — a dance
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. mate — a friend
  17. key — in music
  18. ball — a great time
  19. season — of the year
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. key — the most important part
  22. season — in sport
  23. hand — help
  24. mate — a partner

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