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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — in control
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bound — obliged
  9. cold — an illness
  10. cold — not warm
  11. bound — tied together
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. charge — electricity
  14. ground — the earth
  15. can — to be able to
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bound — certain
  18. plane — a tool
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. can — a tin
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — a position
  24. cabinet — ministers

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