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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. roll — a cake
  3. rock — music
  4. suit — in cards
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — to bear
  9. suit — clothes
  10. sharp — clever
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. suit — to fit
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. date — the fruit
  16. hand — help
  17. roll — a list
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. rock — a stone
  23. hand — in cards
  24. rock — to move gently

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