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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. charge — in control
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. can — a tin
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. roll — a list
  9. charge — a price
  10. march — the month
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. charge — electricity
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. row — to paddle
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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