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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 · present · cold · can · cabinet · fan · ground · firm

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. present — there
  6. cold — not warm
  7. ground — crushed
  8. present — a gift
  9. ground — the earth
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. game — a match
  12. can — to be able to
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. firm — a company
  16. ground — a position
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. firm — decided
  19. game — wild animals
  20. firm — steady
  21. cold — an illness
  22. present — the time now
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fan — a supporter

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