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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. can — to be able to
  3. land — a country
  4. object — an aim
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. object — a thing
  7. charge — electricity
  8. pound — a weight
  9. degree — from a university
  10. object — to protest
  11. land — ground
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. can — a tin
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — an amount
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. charge — a price
  22. can — a tin
  23. pass — a permit
  24. charge — in control

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