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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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. rush — to hurry
  4. drill — a practice
  5. mine — for digging
  6. charge — a price
  7. mug — a face
  8. rush — hurry
  9. drill — army training
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. capital — money
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. charge — electricity
  16. mug — a cup
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bass — the fish
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mug — to rob
  22. drill — the tool
  23. capital — a city
  24. bass — low music

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