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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: stick · board · tube · cabinet · kid · track · cap · ball

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. ball — a dance
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. board — to get on
  6. cap — a hat
  7. tube — a container
  8. cap — a lid
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. track — to keep track
  11. kid — child
  12. cap — of ice
  13. ball — a great time
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. kid — to tease
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. track — a path
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. board — a committee
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. track — a song
  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