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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. charge — in control
  3. land — a country
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — for paper
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. charge — electricity
  9. land — ground
  10. march — the month
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. charge — a price
  14. board — a committee
  15. march — the month
  16. land — to come down
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. clip — to cut
  20. march — music
  21. pit — a hole
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. board — to get on

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