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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: staff · cabinet · net · drill · stand · nail · cap · game

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. net — in sport
  3. game — a match
  4. net — for catching
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. staff — employees
  7. cap — a lid
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. game — wild animals
  10. stand — to bear
  11. drill — the tool
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. net — after costs
  14. staff — a stick
  15. cap — of ice
  16. drill — army training
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. staff — employees
  20. cap — a hat
  21. drill — a practice
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. game — a kind of play

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