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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: ruler · kid · season · snap · fan · bowl · land · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. land — ground
  3. season — of the year
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. season — in sport
  7. cap — of ice
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — child
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. land — a country
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. land — to come down
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. snap — to click
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. cap — a lid
  24. fan — a supporter

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