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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: cabinet · cell · wake · can · stock · ball · chair · file

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wake — a trail
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cell — in biology
  6. chair — a leader
  7. stock — shares
  8. can — a tin
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. stock — goods
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a great time
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. cell — a phone
  18. can — a tin
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a tool
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. can — to be able to

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