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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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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: rule · charge · game · dip · last · can · field · wound

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. game — wild animals
  3. can — to be able to
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. dip — to sink
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. charge — a price
  8. rule — a law
  9. charge — electricity
  10. last — to go on
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. game — a match
  13. rule — government
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. field — farmland
  16. last — finally
  17. field — a subject
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. last — final
  20. wound — an injury
  21. can — a tin
  22. field — for sport
  23. can — a tin
  24. wound — an injury

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