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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. rule — government
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. field — for sport
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. press — newspapers
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. rule — a law
  10. field — a subject
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. field — farmland
  15. content — the amount
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — to push
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. cell — in biology
  20. content — happy
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cell — a phone

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