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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 120 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: suit · cold · bass · net · cabinet · can · object · trunk

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bass — the fish
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. net — in sport
  6. cold — an illness
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. can — a tin
  9. object — an aim
  10. suit — clothes
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bass — low music
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. net — for catching
  17. cold — not warm
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — a thing
  22. suit — in cards
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. net — after costs

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