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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. rock — a stone
  3. game — wild animals
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. pit — in a race
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pit — a hole
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rock — music
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. row — a line
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. game — a match
  21. row — to paddle
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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