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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: cue · firm · scale · cabinet · game · cap · pound · stick

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. cue — for pool
  3. scale — in music
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. cue — a hint
  6. pound — a weight
  7. scale — size or range
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. firm — decided
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. cap — a hat
  13. game — a match
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. firm — steady
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cue — a signal
  22. game — wild animals
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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