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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. charge — in control
  4. pop — music
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — a permit
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. pop — soda
  11. rule — a law
  12. charge — a price
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. squash — the sport
  15. rule — government
  16. game — a match
  17. squash — to crush
  18. pop — to visit
  19. cap — a hat
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. cap — a lid
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. game — wild animals
  24. cap — of ice

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