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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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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: season · fan · nail · pitcher · patient · ball · deal · hide

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. deal — to handle
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. season — of the year
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. season — in sport
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. ball — a great time
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — a big deal

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