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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cue — for pool
  3. charge — in control
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. capital — a city
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — the time now
  9. charge — a price
  10. fork — in a road
  11. present — there
  12. chair — a leader
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. cue — a signal
  16. charge — electricity
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. cap — a lid
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cap — of ice
  24. capital — money

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