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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
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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: club · squash · game · hand · cap · bay · cabinet · row

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. hand — help
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — a lid
  8. game — wild animals
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. club — a group
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cap — of ice
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. row — a line
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the sport
  20. row — to paddle
  21. club — for dancing
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. club — for golf
  24. hand — in cards

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