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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 116 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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468
Word bank
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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. content — happy
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. row — a line
  9. charge — in control
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. row — to paddle
  12. content — the amount
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. charge — a price
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. tube — a container
  24. mouse — for a computer

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