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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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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: cabinet · bank · game · lean · swing · scale · bowl · mate

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. swing — in golf
  4. lean — thin
  5. swing — music
  6. bank — for money
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. scale — in music
  11. bank — for money
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. swing — to play on
  14. mate — a partner
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bank — of a river
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. scale — size or range
  21. game — a match
  22. lean — to bend
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bowl — a dish

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