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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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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: season · cap · kid · calf · bowl · stand · ruler · object

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. season — in sport
  4. object — a thing
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. cap — a hat
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. cap — of ice
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. kid — child
  20. cap — a lid
  21. object — to protest
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. object — an aim
  24. stand — to bear

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