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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 116 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: bulb · ground · cabinet · charge · rush · pitcher · squash · court

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. charge — electricity
  3. ground — a position
  4. charge — in control
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. squash — the sport
  7. court — of a king
  8. ground — the earth
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bulb — for light
  12. ground — crushed
  13. charge — a price
  14. court — for sport
  15. rush — hurry
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. court — of law
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bulb — for light
  24. squash — to crush

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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