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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: pass · toast · game · rash · trunk · scale · cabinet · clip

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. game — a match
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. clip — for paper
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. scale — size or range
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. pass — a permit
  11. scale — in music
  12. game — wild animals
  13. clip — a video
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. toast — bread
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rash — hasty
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. rash — a series
  23. clip — to cut
  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