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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: rock · band · cabinet · perch · cap · ground · tube · ball

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. band — a ring
  4. ball — a dance
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. cap — a hat
  8. ball — a great time
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. ground — the earth
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. band — a music group
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rock — music
  15. tube — a container
  16. perch — the fish
  17. cap — a lid
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. ground — a position
  20. tube — the underground
  21. ground — crushed
  22. cap — of ice
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. rock — a stone

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