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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: roll · ruler · rash · bat · charge · land · cell · pass

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bat — the animal
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. rash — a series
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. land — to come down
  11. charge — in control
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. charge — electricity
  14. rash — hasty
  15. roll — a cake
  16. charge — a price
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. roll — a list
  19. land — a country
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. land — ground
  24. pass — a permit

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