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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. can — a tin
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. mark — a trace
  5. rash — hasty
  6. charge — in control
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. charge — electricity
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. land — ground
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pitch — completely
  15. can — to be able to
  16. land — to come down
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. rash — a series
  21. charge — a price
  22. land — a country
  23. can — a tin
  24. mark — a grade

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