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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. game — wild animals
  3. cap — of ice
  4. charge — a price
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. charge — in control
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. cap — a hat
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — an aim
  12. game — a match
  13. charge — electricity
  14. object — a thing
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. cap — a lid
  17. land — a country
  18. land — ground

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