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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: march · rock · mug · pound · cabinet · kid · charge · firm

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — a price
  5. firm — a company
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. firm — decided
  8. mug — a cup
  9. kid — to tease
  10. pound — a weight
  11. march — the month
  12. mug — to rob
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. march — the month
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. march — music
  17. mug — a face
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. firm — steady
  21. kid — child
  22. charge — electricity
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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