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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: charge · saw · object · content · land · cabinet · stick · scale

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. scale — size or range
  5. object — a thing
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — in control
  8. land — a country
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. scale — in music
  12. land — ground
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. content — happy
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. saw — the tool
  17. object — an aim
  18. charge — electricity
  19. object — to protest
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. saw — the tool
  22. content — the amount
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. land — to come down

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