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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. cap — a hat
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. board — to get on
  6. game — a match
  7. net — in sport
  8. cap — a lid
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pit — in a race
  11. charge — electricity
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. net — after costs
  14. pass — a permit
  15. board — a committee
  16. net — for catching
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. cap — of ice
  20. charge — in control
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. game — wild animals
  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