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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: scale · ball · roll · cabinet · tube · rush · bowl · kick

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. roll — a list
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. roll — a cake
  8. tube — a container
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. rush — hurry
  11. scale — size or range
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. scale — in music
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. tube — the underground
  23. kick — in football
  24. rush — a thrill

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