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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.

Make a worksheet

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: fine · root · rule · season · pitcher · plane · cabinet · snap

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  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. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. season — of the year
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. root — of a word
  7. season — in sport
  8. snap — to click
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. root — the cause
  11. fine — all right
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. rule — a law
  15. root — of a plant
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — high quality
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. rule — government
  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