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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: game · firm · toast · ball · row · march · cabinet · fall

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. firm — decided
  4. fall — the season
  5. march — the month
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. firm — a company
  10. ball — a great time
  11. row — to paddle
  12. firm — steady
  13. row — a line
  14. march — the month
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. fall — to drop
  17. toast — bread
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — wild animals
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. fall — to drop
  22. game — a match
  23. ball — a dance
  24. march — music

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