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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. clip — a video
  5. charge — electricity
  6. race — humankind
  7. charge — a price
  8. clip — to cut
  9. can — to be able to
  10. race — the arms race
  11. root — of a plant
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. race — a contest
  16. file — a line of people
  17. root — the cause
  18. charge — in control
  19. root — of a word
  20. clip — for paper
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a document
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — government

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