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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: game · cabinet · drill · stick · arm · net · can · pit

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. drill — army training
  5. can — to be able to
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. net — in sport
  8. game — wild animals
  9. drill — the tool
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. net — for catching
  16. game — a match
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. net — after costs
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. drill — a practice
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pit — in a race

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