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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: deal · bowl · cap · bass · chest · cabinet · sharp · stand

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — a lid
  3. chest — a box
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bass — the fish
  10. stand — to bear
  11. chest — of your body
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. chest — of your body
  14. sharp — clever
  15. cap — of ice
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. deal — to handle
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bass — low music

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