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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — a partner
  3. land — a country
  4. land — to come down
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mine — for digging
  7. stand — to bear
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pit — in a race
  13. charge — in control
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. mate — to breed
  16. key — in music
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. charge — electricity
  19. key — for a lock
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. land — ground
  22. pit — a hole
  23. key — the most important part
  24. charge — a price

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