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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: date · hide · object · field · bowl · deal · drill · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. drill — the tool
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. drill — army training
  8. season — in sport
  9. field — for sport
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. deal — to handle
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — farmland
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. date — the fruit
  16. object — an aim
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. object — to protest
  19. drill — a practice
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. object — a thing
  24. season — to add flavour

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