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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: mug · ball · cabinet · cap · land · bulb · can · row

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. land — to come down
  3. mug — a cup
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — to paddle
  6. land — a country
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ball — a great time
  10. cap — a hat
  11. mug — to rob
  12. land — ground
  13. mug — a face
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. can — a tin
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. ball — a dance
  19. cap — of ice
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. row — a line
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cap — a lid
  24. can — a tin

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