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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bark — to shout
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bulb — for light
  12. charge — in control
  13. court — of law
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. row — a line
  19. court — of a king
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. court — for sport
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  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