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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. cell — in biology
  3. clip — for paper
  4. clip — to cut
  5. rush — hurry
  6. firm — steady
  7. clip — a video
  8. cell — a phone
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. land — ground
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — a company
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. pitch — completely
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — a country
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  24. cabinet — ministers

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