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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: pop · cabinet · bark · cell · ball · leaves · club · face

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bark — to shout
  3. pop — music
  4. club — for golf
  5. ball — a dance
  6. face — part of the head
  7. club — a group
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. cell — a phone
  11. face — to confront
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. face — to point toward
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. pop — soda
  18. ball — a great time
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. cell — in biology
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pop — to visit
  24. cabinet — ministers

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