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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. charge — electricity
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. game — wild animals
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. charge — in control
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a city
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — army training
  24. charge — a price

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