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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. object — a thing
  3. scale — in music
  4. object — to protest
  5. can — to be able to
  6. scale — size or range
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. squash — to crush
  11. object — an aim
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cap — of ice
  14. can — a tin
  15. cap — a lid
  16. can — a tin
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. squash — the sport
  21. cap — a hat
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. hand — help

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