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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — an aim
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pop — soda
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. pop — to visit
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. charge — electricity
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. land — a country
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. charge — a price
  18. rash — a series
  19. charge — in control
  20. object — to protest
  21. rash — hasty
  22. land — to come down
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. pop — music

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