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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. charge — a price
  5. mine — for digging
  6. last — finally
  7. charge — electricity
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. last — to go on
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. foot — a measure
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. last — final
  16. stock — shares
  17. kid — to tease
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. kid — child
  20. charge — in control
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stock — goods
  24. fan — to cool the air

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