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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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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: stick · mouse · net · bowl · wind · cabinet

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. net — for catching
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. net — after costs
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. net — in sport
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wind — moving air

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