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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 120 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. suit — in cards
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rock — music
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. club — for golf
  8. hand — in cards
  9. last — to go on
  10. file — a line of people
  11. suit — clothes
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. club — a group
  14. last — finally
  15. last — final
  16. stand — to bear
  17. file — a tool
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. hand — help
  20. rock — a stone
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. suit — to fit
  23. file — a document
  24. club — for dancing

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