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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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. tube — the underground
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. staff — a stick
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. game — a match
  8. staff — employees
  9. charge — a price
  10. staff — employees
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. game — wild animals
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bat — the animal
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. charge — in control
  24. tube — a container

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