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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: lean · cabinet · fan · bound · track · roll · scale · suit

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. suit — clothes
  5. scale — in music
  6. roll — a list
  7. suit — in cards
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. suit — to fit
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. track — to keep track
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. track — a song
  14. bound — tied together
  15. scale — size or range
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. lean — to bend
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bound — certain
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. roll — a cake
  22. track — a path
  23. lean — thin
  24. bound — obliged

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