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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 124 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pop — to visit
  4. field — a subject
  5. cap — a hat
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. field — farmland
  8. game — wild animals
  9. charge — in control
  10. staff — employees
  11. pop — music
  12. cap — a lid
  13. pop — soda
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. game — a match
  17. cap — of ice
  18. pound — a weight
  19. field — for sport
  20. charge — a price
  21. staff — a stick
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. staff — employees
  24. safe — out of danger

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