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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. content — happy
  3. rest — what's left
  4. content — the amount
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. deal — to handle
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. charge — electricity
  20. capital — money
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. capital — a city

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