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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. spell — magic
  4. content — happy
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bound — certain
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pit — in a race
  10. charge — in control
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. spell — a short time
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — shares
  16. spell — letters
  17. content — the amount
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — tied together
  21. charge — a price
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. charge — electricity

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