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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.

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: cabinet · ball · can · drill · field · plane · mine · mouse

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. can — a tin
  4. ball — a dance
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. ball — a great time
  7. field — a subject
  8. drill — a practice
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. drill — army training
  12. can — to be able to
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. can — a tin
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. drill — the tool
  19. plane — a tool
  20. field — for sport
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. field — farmland

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