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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. can — a tin
  4. land — a country
  5. charge — a price
  6. land — to come down
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. rash — a series
  9. chip — for betting
  10. board — a committee
  11. charge — in control
  12. land — ground
  13. chip — to eat
  14. can — to be able to
  15. charge — electricity
  16. rash — hasty
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pit — in a race
  19. last — finally
  20. pit — a hole
  21. board — to get on
  22. last — final
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. can — a tin

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