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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 116 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: can · present · race · club · cabinet · cell

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. can — a tin
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cell — in biology
  6. club — a group
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. present — a gift
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. race — humankind
  11. club — for dancing
  12. race — the arms race
  13. cell — a phone
  14. present — there
  15. club — for golf
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. present — the time now

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