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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: cap · race · season · rush · pitcher · plane · calf · deal

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. cap — a hat
  3. race — a contest
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cap — a lid
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. rush — hurry
  12. race — humankind
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. race — the arms race
  17. cap — of ice
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. plane — a tool
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — an agreement

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