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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 · cap · land · scale · pound · swing · ball · rule

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. rule — a law
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. cap — of ice
  6. scale — size or range
  7. ball — a dance
  8. cap — a lid
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. land — a country
  11. swing — in golf
  12. rule — government
  13. ball — a great time
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. cap — a hat
  16. scale — in music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. land — ground
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. land — to come down
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. swing — music
  24. pound — a weight

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