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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 120 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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 — a cupboard
  2. net — for catching
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. squash — to crush
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. ball — a great time
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. kick — in football
  10. ball — a dance
  11. rule — a law
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. net — in sport
  15. mine — for digging
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. squash — the sport
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. net — after costs
  23. fan — a supporter
  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