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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: present · wind · ball · can · season · deal · land · rash

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. deal — to handle
  3. rash — a series
  4. wind — moving air
  5. present — the time now
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. wind — moving air
  14. present — a gift
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. can — a tin
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. rash — hasty
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — in sport
  24. land — ground

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