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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: key · hide · field · spell · pitcher · fan · bowl · cap

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. field — for sport
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. spell — magic
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. spell — letters
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — in music
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. spell — a short time
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — a subject
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. key — for a lock
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. pitcher — a jug

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