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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: field · lash · game · bay · can · race · hand · deal

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. hand — in cards
  3. can — a tin
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. field — a subject
  7. race — the arms race
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. can — a tin
  10. race — a contest
  11. can — to be able to
  12. deal — to handle
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. race — humankind
  18. field — farmland
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. game — a match
  21. game — wild animals
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. hand — help

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