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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — for sport
  4. band — a music group
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — a law
  8. charge — in control
  9. land — a country
  10. mate — to breed
  11. band — a ring
  12. charge — electricity
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. rule — government
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. field — a subject
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. land — to come down
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. mate — a partner
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. land — ground
  24. mate — a friend

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