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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. scale — size or range
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. land — to come down
  5. charge — electricity
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. dip — to sink
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a hat
  10. mate — to breed
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. land — ground
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. mate — a friend
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — a price
  17. scale — in music
  18. cap — a lid
  19. rush — hurry
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. mate — a partner
  22. stand — to bear
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. dip — a sauce

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