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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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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: chair · cell · cabinet · pass · charge · bulb · cue · band

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. pass — a permit
  4. charge — in control
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. band — a ring
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. charge — electricity
  15. band — a music group
  16. cue — for pool
  17. charge — a price
  18. chair — a leader
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. cabinet — ministers

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