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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
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 · season · scale · cabinet · kick · jam · hand · race

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. season — of the year
  3. race — the arms race
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. hand — in cards
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. kick — in football
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. scale — in music
  12. season — in sport
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. hand — help
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. race — a contest
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. race — humankind
  23. scale — size or range
  24. season — to add flavour

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