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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
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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 · bass · game · fan · cold · rock · mug · bear

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bass — low music
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. game — a match
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. rock — music
  12. cold — not warm
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. rock — a stone
  18. cold — an illness
  19. bass — the fish
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — a face
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bear — the animal

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