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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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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. charge — electricity
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. rule — a law
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — a phone
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. craft — boats
  9. club — a group
  10. craft — a skill
  11. charge — in control
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pitch — completely
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. rule — government
  21. charge — a price
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. club — for golf

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