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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — a price
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — a country
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. pass — a permit
  8. fine — all right
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to tire
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. perch — the fish
  20. fine — high quality
  21. wound — an injury
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. land — ground

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