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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — a friend
  5. lie — to recline
  6. game — a match
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cap — a hat
  9. chip — for betting
  10. land — ground
  11. charge — electricity
  12. land — to come down
  13. charge — a price
  14. cap — of ice
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cap — a lid
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. charge — in control
  22. mate — to breed
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. chip — to eat

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