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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.

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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. tube — a container
  4. pitch — completely
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bass — low music
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. craft — boats
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. squash — the sport
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. squash — to crush
  15. charge — a price
  16. bass — the fish
  17. craft — a skill
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. charge — in control
  20. tube — the underground
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. charge — electricity
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. squash — the vegetable

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