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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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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: cabinet · pound · race · jam · date · mate · fall · board

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. race — the arms race
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. mate — a partner
  8. fall — to drop
  9. board — to get on
  10. mate — to breed
  11. fall — the season
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. race — a contest
  16. board — a committee
  17. race — humankind
  18. fall — to drop
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mate — a friend
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. date — on the calendar

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