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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: wound · cabinet · bowl · cold · calf · file · racket · jam

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a tool
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cold — an illness
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. file — a document
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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