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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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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. land — a country
  3. court — for sport
  4. charge — in control
  5. court — of law
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. court — of a king
  9. charge — electricity
  10. game — wild animals
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — magic
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. land — to come down
  19. spell — letters
  20. land — ground
  21. game — a match
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — a tool
  24. tube — the underground

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