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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. cap — of ice
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. plane — a tool
  5. march — the month
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. hand — in cards
  8. cap — a hat
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — a law
  12. march — the month
  13. roll — a cake
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. hand — help
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. march — music
  19. charge — electricity
  20. cap — a lid
  21. charge — a price
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. roll — a list

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