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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cap · charge · game · land · object · wave · bay · march

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. charge — a price
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. land — to come down
  6. march — music
  7. object — an aim
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. charge — electricity
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. game — a match
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a hat
  15. march — the month
  16. object — to protest
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. land — ground
  19. game — wild animals
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. march — the month
  22. charge — in control
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. object — a thing

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