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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: season · field · sharp · date · bound · bowl · pitcher · deal

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. field — a subject
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. field — for sport
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bound — certain
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. season — in sport
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. field — farmland
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. deal — to handle
  24. season — of the year

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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