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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: arm · roll · cap · cabinet · swing · object · season · can

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. swing — in golf
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. swing — music
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cap — of ice
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cap — a hat
  11. can — to be able to
  12. cap — a lid
  13. can — a tin
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. object — a thing
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. can — a tin
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a list
  20. swing — to play on
  21. object — an aim
  22. roll — a cake
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. season — of the year

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