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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.

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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: fall · mouse · game · row · chair · suit · cabinet · season

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. row — a line
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. chair — a leader
  5. fall — the season
  6. suit — clothes
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. suit — in cards
  9. row — to paddle
  10. fall — to drop
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. season — in sport
  13. suit — to fit
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. season — of the year
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. game — a match
  18. fall — to drop
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. game — wild animals
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  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