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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: row · cabinet · scale · stand · fan · kick · court · jam

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. stand — to bear
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a line
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. court — of a king
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. scale — in music
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. court — for sport
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. kick — in football
  23. court — of law
  24. fan — to cool the air

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