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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: mine · cabinet · stand · last · jam · scale · suit · bore

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. last — finally
  3. stand — to bear
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mine — for digging
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. scale — in music
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bore — to tire
  10. last — to go on
  11. suit — clothes
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. last — final
  17. scale — size or range
  18. suit — in cards
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mine — belonging to me

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