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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 120 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. charge — electricity
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. drill — a practice
  6. content — the amount
  7. charge — a price
  8. drill — the tool
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. charge — in control
  11. spring — the season
  12. club — a group
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. club — for dancing
  15. drill — army training
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. club — for golf
  18. content — happy
  19. spring — a coil
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — a signal
  22. fork — in a road
  23. spring — of water
  24. cue — for pool

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