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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: cap · charge · deal · board · bass · land · staff · spell

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bass — low music
  4. staff — a stick
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bass — the fish
  7. charge — a price
  8. staff — employees
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. land — to come down
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — magic
  13. board — to get on
  14. charge — in control
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a lid
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. staff — employees
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. spell — a short time
  22. charge — electricity
  23. board — a committee
  24. land — a country

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