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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: rock · toast · ground · cabinet · temple · roll · charge · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  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. can — to be able to
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. ground — a position
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. roll — a cake
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. charge — electricity
  8. rock — music
  9. roll — a list
  10. ground — crushed
  11. charge — in control
  12. can — a tin
  13. ground — the earth
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. charge — a price
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. can — a tin
  21. rock — a stone
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. toast — bread
  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