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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 120 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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. land — a country
  4. charge — a price
  5. pitch — completely
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. branch — a division
  8. charge — electricity
  9. scale — size or range
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. scale — in music
  14. land — to come down
  15. dip — to sink
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. current — electric
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. charge — in control
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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