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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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468
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: cabinet · kid · mate · charge · roll · bank · ball · row

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a dance
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. mate — a partner
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. charge — a price
  8. kid — child
  9. mate — a friend
  10. row — a line
  11. roll — a list
  12. row — to paddle
  13. kid — to tease
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bank — of a river
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. charge — in control
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bank — for money
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bank — for money
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. ball — a great time

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