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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. charge — a price
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. date — the fruit
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. firm — steady
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. cell — a phone
  18. firm — decided
  19. charge — in control
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. firm — a company
  24. cell — in biology

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