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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. march — the month
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. chest — of your body
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. game — wild animals
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. tube — a container
  10. season — of the year
  11. chest — a box
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. march — music
  14. chest — of your body
  15. march — the month
  16. charge — in control
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. season — in sport
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. tube — the underground
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — electricity

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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