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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 120 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: arm · squash · cabinet · bear · band · can · pass · game

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pass — a permit
  4. squash — the sport
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bear — the animal
  15. band — a ring
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. squash — to crush
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. game — a match
  23. band — a music group
  24. cabinet — ministers

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