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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.

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: kid · ball · pass · tube · mark · rule · spring · cabinet

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. rule — a law
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. rule — government
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. kid — to tease
  9. spring — of water
  10. pass — a permit
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. spring — a coil
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. tube — a container
  17. spring — the season
  18. mark — a trace
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. tube — the underground
  21. mark — a grade
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. kid — child
  24. ball — a great time

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