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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: race · rule · toast · board · cabinet · scale · object · can

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. toast — bread
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. can — a tin
  5. scale — size or range
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — the arms race
  8. scale — in music
  9. object — to protest
  10. rule — government
  11. can — to be able to
  12. object — an aim
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. board — to get on
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. can — a tin
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rule — a law
  21. board — a committee
  22. object — a thing
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. race — humankind

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