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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. mark — a grade
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pop — music
  5. staff — a stick
  6. charge — in control
  7. staff — employees
  8. pop — to visit
  9. land — a country
  10. wound — an injury
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pop — soda
  13. land — to come down
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. mark — a trace
  16. charge — electricity
  17. staff — employees
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. land — ground
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. mark — to pay attention

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