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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
468
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: net · cap · staff · pop · game · cabinet · date · suit

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. pop — to visit
  3. net — in sport
  4. staff — employees
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. net — for catching
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. date — the fruit
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. suit — clothes
  12. net — after costs
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. cap — a hat
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. pop — music
  18. suit — to fit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. cap — a lid
  21. game — wild animals
  22. suit — in cards
  23. cap — of ice
  24. pop — soda

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