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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cabinet · game · face · land · net · stick · capital · bowl

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. net — for catching
  3. game — a match
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. land — to come down
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. net — in sport
  10. land — ground
  11. capital — a city
  12. face — to point toward
  13. capital — money
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. face — to confront
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. game — wild animals
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. net — after costs
  21. land — a country
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. face — part of the head

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