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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.

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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: staff · fork · bay · cabinet · ground · season · bat · race

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. fork — in a road
  3. race — humankind
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. race — the arms race
  7. staff — employees
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bat — the animal
  10. season — in sport
  11. staff — employees
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. ground — the earth
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. ground — crushed
  17. season — of the year
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. ground — a position
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. race — a contest
  24. staff — a stick

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