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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. charge — electricity
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a friend
  5. ground — crushed
  6. charge — in control
  7. bulb — for light
  8. track — a song
  9. root — of a word
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — government
  13. land — a country
  14. root — of a plant
  15. land — to come down
  16. bulb — for light
  17. track — to keep track
  18. charge — a price
  19. mate — a partner
  20. ground — a position
  21. root — the cause
  22. track — a path
  23. land — ground
  24. bulb — of a plant

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