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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 116 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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. game — wild animals
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. swing — music
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bank — of a river
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. mug — a face
  13. charge — electricity
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bank — for money
  17. game — a match
  18. charge — a price
  19. pound — a weight
  20. mug — a cup
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bank — for money
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. charge — in control

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