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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: cell · mate · kid · charge · nail · suit · land · jam

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. mate — a friend
  3. land — to come down
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. land — a country
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cell — a phone
  11. mate — to breed
  12. suit — in cards
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. land — ground
  15. mate — a partner
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. kid — to tease
  18. charge — electricity
  19. suit — clothes
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — a price
  22. suit — to fit
  23. cell — in biology
  24. nail — on a finger

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