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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: racket · scale · march · pitcher · can · jam · tear · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. can — a tin
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. march — the month
  5. tear — from crying
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. march — music
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. can — to be able to
  10. tear — from crying
  11. scale — size or range
  12. march — the month
  13. tear — to rip
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — in music
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. can — a tin

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