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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bulb — for light
  7. staff — employees
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. staff — a stick
  10. charge — electricity
  11. field — a subject
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — for dancing
  14. rush — hurry
  15. staff — employees
  16. field — for sport
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. charge — in control
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. charge — a price
  22. field — farmland
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. club — a group

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