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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 120 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: cabinet · race · fork · bowl · row · racket · trunk · bay

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. row — to paddle
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — humankind
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. row — a line
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. race — a contest
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. fork — in a road
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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