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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. charge — in control
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. charge — electricity
  5. can — a tin
  6. charge — a price
  7. staff — employees
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bulb — for light
  10. staff — employees
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. can — to be able to
  14. squash — the sport
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bulb — for light
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pound — a weight
  22. staff — a stick
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. can — a tin

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