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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: deal · key · charge · stem · mine · cabinet · roll · board

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. charge — a price
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. roll — a list
  5. deal — to handle
  6. key — for a lock
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. charge — electricity
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. charge — in control
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. key — in music
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. mine — for digging
  20. key — the most important part
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. stem — to come from

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