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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: cabinet · drill · field · jam · fine · pop · roll · snap

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. fine — high quality
  3. pop — to visit
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. field — a subject
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. drill — a practice
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. roll — a list
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. snap — to click
  14. pop — music
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — for sport
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. fine — all right
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. drill — the tool
  21. roll — a cake
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. drill — army training

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