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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.

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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 · deal · field · bowl · bound · stick · key · bass

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. key — the most important part
  6. field — for sport
  7. bound — obliged
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bass — low music
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. key — in music
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bass — the fish
  15. field — farmland
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bound — certain
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. cap — of ice
  22. field — a subject
  23. key — for a lock
  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