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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. charge — a price
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. can — a tin
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rest — what's left
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. rest — what's left
  12. charge — in control
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. rest — a break
  15. can — to be able to
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. can — a tin
  18. scale — in music
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bark — to shout
  24. scale — size or range

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