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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: cap · game · row · cabinet · season · lie · present · pound

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — the time now
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. present — there
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. row — to paddle
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. game — wild animals
  14. cap — of ice
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. cap — a hat
  17. lie — to recline
  18. row — a line
  19. season — of the year
  20. pound — a weight
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. season — in sport
  24. game — a match

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