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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
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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 · mark · cabinet · lean · can · pitcher · squash · staff

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. can — to be able to
  3. lean — to bend
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lean — thin
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. can — a tin
  11. squash — the sport
  12. game — wild animals
  13. squash — to crush
  14. staff — employees
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. staff — employees
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. can — a tin
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. staff — a stick
  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