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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: track · land · game · cap · rush · cabinet · object · cue

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. land — a country
  6. cue — a hint
  7. game — a match
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. track — a song
  11. track — a path
  12. track — to keep track
  13. cue — a signal
  14. object — an aim
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cue — for pool
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — to protest
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. cap — of ice
  22. land — to come down
  23. game — wild animals
  24. land — ground

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