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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. land — a country
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. charge — in control
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. land — to come down
  8. spring — the season
  9. charge — electricity
  10. perch — the fish
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pit — in a race
  13. spring — a coil
  14. cap — a hat
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. cap — of ice
  18. pit — a hole
  19. cap — a lid
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. spring — of water
  23. land — ground
  24. arm — part of the body

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