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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.

Make a worksheet

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: can · pitcher · scale · fan · cabinet · game · ground · arm

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. ground — crushed
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. game — a match
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. scale — in music
  9. ground — the earth
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. scale — size or range
  16. ground — a position
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. can — a tin
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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