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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. chip — for betting
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. charge — a price
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. charge — electricity
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. chip — to eat
  15. charge — in control
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — a hole
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. cabinet — ministers

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