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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. ground — the earth
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. game — wild animals
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. foot — a measure
  9. current — electric
  10. current — of water
  11. land — a country
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. current — happening now
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — a position
  17. land — ground
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — a match
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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