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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
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: cap · bowl · track · cabinet · fork · hand · fan · wound

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. cap — a hat
  3. track — a path
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. track — to keep track
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. hand — help
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. wound — an injury
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. track — a song

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