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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. can — a tin
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bear — the animal
  8. squash — the sport
  9. roll — a list
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — the fruit
  12. band — a ring
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. can — a tin
  19. band — a music group
  20. charge — in control
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. squash — to crush
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bear — the animal

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