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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: mouse · firm · cabinet · ball · snap · charge · can · field

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. snap — to click
  4. field — for sport
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. firm — a company
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. field — a subject
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. charge — a price
  12. field — farmland
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. firm — decided
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. can — to be able to
  18. firm — steady
  19. can — a tin
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. can — a tin
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — electricity

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