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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 116 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. land — a country
  3. land — to come down
  4. fine — high quality
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. charge — in control
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. swing — in golf
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. mine — for digging
  12. charge — a price
  13. land — ground
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. cap — a lid
  17. scale — in music
  18. board — a committee
  19. scale — size or range
  20. swing — music
  21. cap — a hat
  22. swing — to play on
  23. board — to get on
  24. cap — of ice

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