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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. charge — a price
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bear — the animal
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bear — the animal
  7. land — a country
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. charge — in control
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. rule — government
  12. land — ground
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. rule — a law
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. land — to come down

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