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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: can · hide · key · game · spring · kid · sharp · bowl

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. key — in music
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. key — for a lock
  6. kid — child
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. sharp — clever
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. spring — of water
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. can — to be able to
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. key — the most important part
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. can — a tin
  18. kid — to tease
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — the season
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. sharp — with an edge

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