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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.

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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: cabinet · bark · game · hand · bulb · charge · ball · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a dance
  4. game — a match
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. ball — a great time
  9. game — wild animals
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rule — government
  12. charge — electricity
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bulb — for light
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. charge — a price
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. hand — help
  19. charge — in control
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bulb — for light

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