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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 116 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: hand · cabinet · cell · track · leaves · racket · scale · game

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. scale — size or range
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — help
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — wild animals
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — in music
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. track — a song
  12. cell — in biology
  13. game — a match
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. track — a path
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. track — to keep track
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. cell — a phone
  23. hand — in cards
  24. racket — for tennis

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