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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: cabinet · arm · roll · wave · land · pitch · drill · field

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. land — a country
  5. drill — the tool
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. field — a subject
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. roll — a list
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. drill — army training
  14. pitch — completely
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. drill — a practice
  17. roll — a cake
  18. field — farmland
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. field — for sport
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. land — to come down

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