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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: bound · bulb · net · cabinet · race · charge · ball · saw

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bound — obliged
  3. ball — a dance
  4. net — for catching
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — humankind
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. charge — a price
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — certain
  16. charge — electricity
  17. net — after costs
  18. race — a contest
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. net — in sport
  21. ball — a great time
  22. saw — the tool
  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