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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: squash · game · cabinet · can · saw · court · present · charge

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. squash — to crush
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. present — there
  6. charge — in control
  7. game — wild animals
  8. court — of law
  9. saw — the tool
  10. charge — a price
  11. saw — the tool
  12. can — a tin
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. can — a tin
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. present — the time now
  18. court — for sport
  19. can — to be able to
  20. charge — electricity
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. court — of a king
  23. present — a gift
  24. squash — the sport

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