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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. staff — employees
  3. season — in sport
  4. charge — electricity
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — the animal
  14. staff — employees
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. charge — a price
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. season — of the year
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rest — what's left
  22. charge — in control
  23. staff — a stick
  24. rest — a break

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