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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: fan · can · game · fall · court · fork · face · cabinet

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. fork — in a road
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. court — of law
  5. face — part of the head
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. game — wild animals
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fall — the season
  12. can — to be able to
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. court — of a king
  15. fall — to drop
  16. face — to point toward
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. can — a tin
  21. court — for sport
  22. can — a tin
  23. face — to confront
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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