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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 116 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mine — for digging
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. game — wild animals
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pitch — completely
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. game — a match
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — in music
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. mine — belonging to me

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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