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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 120 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. land — ground
  3. land — to come down
  4. stand — to bear
  5. charge — in control
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. deal — to handle
  9. land — a country
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. season — in sport
  12. last — finally
  13. charge — a price
  14. season — of the year
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pass — a permit
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. charge — electricity
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. deal — an agreement

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