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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
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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: mark · cabinet · can · cold · current · board · net · mug

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. net — in sport
  3. can — to be able to
  4. cold — an illness
  5. can — a tin
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. current — of water
  9. mark — a grade
  10. net — after costs
  11. board — a committee
  12. mug — a face
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. net — for catching
  16. mug — to rob
  17. current — electric
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. current — happening now
  20. can — a tin
  21. cold — not warm
  22. board — to get on
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mark — a trace

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