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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
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: racket · last · cabinet · charge · bowl · field · cap · file

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. file — a line of people
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. charge — electricity
  6. file — a tool
  7. field — a subject
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. file — a document
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. charge — in control
  15. cap — a lid
  16. last — finally
  17. field — farmland
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. charge — a price
  20. last — to go on
  21. field — for sport
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. last — final

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