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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: rush · cabinet · bowl · stand · saw · pop · cap · net

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. net — in sport
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pop — music
  10. cap — of ice
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. cap — a lid
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. pop — soda
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

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