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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: field · hide · scale · capital · bowl · racket · deal · fan

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. field — a subject
  6. capital — money
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. scale — in music
  20. capital — a city
  21. deal — to handle
  22. field — for sport
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. field — farmland

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