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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. land — to come down
  3. charge — a price
  4. staff — employees
  5. current — of water
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. land — ground
  10. bat — the animal
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. staff — employees
  13. charge — in control
  14. suit — in cards
  15. charge — electricity
  16. current — electric
  17. cap — a lid
  18. land — a country
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — of ice
  21. suit — clothes
  22. current — happening now
  23. staff — a stick
  24. suit — to fit

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