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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · pit · mouse · pass · charge · present · can · land

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pass — a permit
  3. land — to come down
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. spell — a short time
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. present — a gift
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. charge — in control
  14. spell — magic
  15. pit — in a race
  16. charge — electricity
  17. pit — a hole
  18. charge — a price
  19. spell — letters
  20. land — a country
  21. present — the time now
  22. land — ground
  23. present — there
  24. can — a tin

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