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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: kick · season · foot · bore · row · wound · bowl · deal

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bore — to tire
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. kick — in football
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. season — of the year
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. wound — an injury
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. row — a line
  20. wound — an injury
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. season — in sport

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