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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. charge — electricity
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. ground — crushed
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pound — a weight
  8. ground — the earth
  9. game — a match
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. charge — in control
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. court — of law
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. game — wild animals
  19. court — for sport
  20. charge — a price
  21. court — of a king
  22. ground — a position
  23. toast — bread
  24. game — a kind of play

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