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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fan · club · land · field · rule · mine · charge · safe

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. club — a group
  5. rule — a law
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. charge — electricity
  8. land — to come down
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — in control
  11. field — for sport
  12. club — for dancing
  13. land — ground
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — farmland
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. land — a country
  20. club — for golf
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. mine — for digging
  24. fan — a supporter

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