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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 · wake · ruler · bowl · cold · charge · club · game

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. cold — not warm
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. charge — a price
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. wake — a trail
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. game — a match
  15. cold — an illness
  16. club — a group
  17. charge — electricity
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. charge — in control
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — for dancing
  24. game — wild animals

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