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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. shower — to wash
  4. pass — a permit
  5. file — a line of people
  6. scale — in music
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. plane — a tool
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. shower — rain
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. file — a tool
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. stock — shares
  18. scale — size or range
  19. stock — goods
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. file — a document
  24. cabinet — ministers

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