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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. fork — in a road
  5. race — the arms race
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. race — a contest
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. scale — in music
  15. race — humankind
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. board — a committee
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. wake — a trail
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. scale — size or range
  24. perch — the fish

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