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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. charge — in control
  3. pass — a permit
  4. snap — to click
  5. roll — a cake
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. land — ground
  8. charge — electricity
  9. stock — shares
  10. roll — a list
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — a country
  17. stock — goods
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. cap — a hat
  21. branch — a division
  22. cap — of ice
  23. branch — of a bank
  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