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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 116 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: row · fine · bore · stand · bowl · plane · game · cabinet

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. plane — a tool
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. game — wild animals
  11. fine — all right
  12. row — a line
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. row — to paddle
  15. game — a match
  16. bore — to drill
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. row — a quarrel

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