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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bore — to tire
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bore — to drill
  11. roll — a list
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pitch — completely
  15. capital — a city
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — a law
  20. capital — money
  21. content — happy
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. roll — a cake
  24. content — the amount

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