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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. tube — a container
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. charge — a price
  7. bound — tied together
  8. charge — in control
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — certain
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. tube — the underground
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. march — music
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. charge — electricity
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cap — a hat
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — of ice

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