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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. chair — a leader
  4. charge — a price
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. charge — in control
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. deal — to handle
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever
  19. charge — electricity
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a match
  24. deal — an agreement

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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