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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 116 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. cap — a lid
  3. key — in music
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. key — for a lock
  6. stem — to come from
  7. key — the most important part
  8. cap — a hat
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — in control
  11. last — to go on
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. cap — of ice
  14. mine — for digging
  15. board — to get on
  16. last — final
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. last — finally
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. charge — a price

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