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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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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: mug · club · hand · bore · roll · deal · bowl · season

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. club — a group
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. mug — a cup
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. mug — a face
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. mug — to rob
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — a cake
  12. hand — help
  13. deal — to handle
  14. season — of the year
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. club — for golf
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. club — for dancing
  21. season — in sport
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. roll — on a roll

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