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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
468
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: land · bowl · drill · cabinet · pit · fine · trunk · rash

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. rash — hasty
  3. drill — the tool
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — a country
  6. land — ground
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. fine — high quality
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. drill — a practice
  16. rash — a series
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. fine — all right
  21. pit — in a race
  22. drill — army training
  23. bowl — to roll
  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