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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: game · drill · land · cabinet · jam · foot · bulb · last

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  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 — wild animals
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. last — to go on
  5. drill — the tool
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. land — ground
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — a measure
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. land — to come down
  13. game — a match
  14. bulb — for light
  15. last — final
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. drill — a practice
  19. last — finally
  20. drill — army training
  21. land — a country
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bulb — for light
  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