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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — a price
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. mug — a cup
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. key — the most important part
  10. capital — money
  11. land — ground
  12. charge — electricity
  13. current — electric
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. current — of water
  17. mug — a face
  18. key — in music
  19. capital — a city
  20. land — to come down
  21. mug — to rob
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. current — happening now
  24. key — for a lock

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