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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. band — a music group
  3. charge — in control
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. squash — the sport
  6. can — a tin
  7. charge — a price
  8. land — a country
  9. land — ground
  10. saw — the tool
  11. land — to come down
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. saw — the tool
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. band — a ring
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mark — a grade
  18. can — a tin
  19. squash — to crush
  20. mark — a trace
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. can — to be able to

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