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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. land — a country
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. charge — in control
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. charge — a price
  8. land — ground
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. capital — a city
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. rock — music
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. land — to come down
  20. charge — electricity
  21. prune — to trim
  22. game — a match
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pass — a permit

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