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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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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: arm · cabinet · club · shower · rock · game · toast · perch

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. toast — bread
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rock — a stone
  10. club — for dancing
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. game — wild animals
  14. shower — to wash
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. game — a match
  17. club — a group
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. shower — rain
  23. club — for golf
  24. arm — a part of something

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