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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: game · stem · kid · charge · dip · rule · object · cabinet

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. stem — to come from
  3. kid — child
  4. rule — government
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. object — an aim
  7. charge — in control
  8. kid — to tease
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. charge — a price
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. game — wild animals
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. game — a match
  17. object — a thing
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rule — a law
  21. object — to protest
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. charge — electricity

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