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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 120 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: land · key · tear · pit · hand · cue · charge · cap

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. hand — help
  3. land — a country
  4. key — in music
  5. tear — to rip
  6. land — to come down
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. pit — in a race
  9. key — the most important part
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. tear — from crying
  14. key — for a lock
  15. hand — in cards
  16. charge — a price
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — a hole
  19. tear — from crying
  20. charge — electricity
  21. cap — of ice
  22. charge — in control
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cap — a hat

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