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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. charge — in control
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. kid — child
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. kid — to tease
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. ball — a great time
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ball — a dance
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. charge — a price
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. charge — electricity
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stem — to come from
  24. date — the fruit

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