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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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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  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. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. content — the amount
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. clip — to cut
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. land — to come down
  13. cap — a lid
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. content — happy
  16. land — ground
  17. cap — of ice
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. land — a country
  21. clip — a video
  22. clip — for paper
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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