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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. land — to come down
  3. march — the month
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. march — the month
  12. degree — from a university
  13. march — music
  14. land — a country
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. degree — temperature
  20. foot — a measure
  21. land — ground
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. degree — an amount
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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