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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. drill — army training
  3. charge — a price
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cap — a hat
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — a country
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cue — a hint
  13. charge — in control
  14. land — ground
  15. cue — for pool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. cap — a lid

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