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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: cabinet · game · rest · fine · snap · ball · file · stick

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. file — a line of people
  3. fine — all right
  4. rest — a break
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. rest — what's left
  7. file — a tool
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. game — a match
  10. game — wild animals
  11. ball — a dance
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a great time
  16. file — a document
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. fine — high quality
  24. snap — to click

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