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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pop · saw · cabinet · cell · bear · date

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. pop — to visit
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pop — soda
  6. bear — the animal
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cell — in biology
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. date — the fruit
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pop — music
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. cell — a phone

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