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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.

Words on the sheet
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: net · cabinet · pass · cold · row · ruler · track · roll

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. roll — a cake
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. roll — a list
  6. cold — not warm
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. net — in sport
  9. cold — an illness
  10. net — for catching
  11. track — a path
  12. row — a line
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pass — a permit
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. track — to keep track
  20. net — after costs
  21. row — to paddle
  22. track — a song
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. pass — to spend time

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