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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: fall · spell · cabinet · board · field · mate · cap · jam

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. spell — magic
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cap — of ice
  8. field — farmland
  9. mate — a partner
  10. cap — a lid
  11. spell — letters
  12. mate — to breed
  13. fall — to drop
  14. board — to get on
  15. fall — the season
  16. field — for sport
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. spell — a short time
  20. mate — a friend
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. fall — to drop
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. field — a subject

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