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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 · scale · game · field · bank · ball · mark · lash

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bank — for money
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. game — wild animals
  7. ball — a dance
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. ball — a great time
  16. game — a match
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — a subject
  21. scale — in music
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. field — farmland
  24. lash — to lash out

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