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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — in control
  4. season — of the year
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bear — the animal
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. pit — in a race
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. season — in sport
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cell — a phone
  21. chip — to eat
  22. charge — a price
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bear — to put up with

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