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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: cabinet · rock · game · mark · mine · jam · net · drill

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. net — in sport
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. drill — army training
  6. net — for catching
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. net — after costs
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mine — for digging
  15. drill — the tool
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. mark — a grade
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — music
  21. drill — a practice
  22. game — a match
  23. mark — a trace
  24. jam — a tight spot

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