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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. spring — the season
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a song
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. squash — the sport
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. fall — the season
  11. deal — to handle
  12. board — to get on
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. board — a committee
  16. squash — to crush
  17. spring — of water
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. track — a path
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. spring — a coil
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. fall — to drop

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