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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: cabinet · nail · hide · net · racket · charge · drill · pop

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. net — after costs
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. charge — a price
  5. drill — a practice
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. net — in sport
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. drill — army training
  13. pop — music
  14. drill — the tool
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. pop — soda
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. net — for catching
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pop — to visit
  23. charge — in control
  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