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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. charge — a price
  3. key — for a lock
  4. tube — the underground
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. cap — a hat
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. cap — of ice
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — in music
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. hand — in cards
  14. charge — in control
  15. tube — a container
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. rule — a law
  18. charge — electricity
  19. rule — government
  20. hand — help
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cap — a lid
  24. tube — in a tire

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