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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. land — a country
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — a lid
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. land — ground
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. season — of the year
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bat — the animal
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. cap — of ice
  16. content — the amount
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. season — in sport
  19. charge — a price
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. content — happy
  22. land — to come down
  23. charge — in control
  24. straw — dry grass

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