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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: hand · rule · cabinet · trunk · bowl · scale · mouse · fork

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. hand — help
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rule — government
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — in music
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. rule — a law
  19. fork — in a road
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. hand — in cards
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. mouse — the animal

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