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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. court — for sport
  3. chip — for betting
  4. spell — a short time
  5. charge — in control
  6. land — to come down
  7. staff — employees
  8. spell — magic
  9. tube — the underground
  10. staff — employees
  11. court — of a king
  12. charge — a price
  13. land — a country
  14. charge — electricity
  15. spell — letters
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — of ice
  18. chip — to eat
  19. tube — a container
  20. cap — a hat
  21. court — of law
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. land — ground

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