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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: date · mark · cell · bass · bore · fan · cabinet · object

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mark — a trace
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bass — low music
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bass — the fish
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — an aim
  11. mark — a grade
  12. date — the fruit
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. object — to protest
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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