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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rock · march · kick · ball · can · pit · cabinet · field

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. kick — in football
  3. can — a tin
  4. field — for sport
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. ball — a dance
  7. march — the month
  8. rock — music
  9. pit — a hole
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. pit — in a race
  12. rock — a stone
  13. field — farmland
  14. march — music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. field — a subject
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. march — the month
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. ball — a great time
  23. can — a tin
  24. cabinet — ministers

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