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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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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: jam · charge · rule · suit · fine · land · bat · wake

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. wake — a trail
  3. land — to come down
  4. fine — all right
  5. land — ground
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. land — a country
  8. rule — a law
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. suit — clothes
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. suit — to fit
  14. rule — government
  15. suit — in cards
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. charge — a price
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. charge — in control

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