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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: net · coach · charge · bay · can · file · present · cabinet

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. file — a line of people
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. net — in sport
  7. charge — electricity
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. file — a document
  12. present — a gift
  13. charge — a price
  14. net — for catching
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. charge — in control
  17. can — a tin
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. can — to be able to
  20. present — there
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. present — the time now
  23. file — a tool
  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