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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. key — for a lock
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. object — to protest
  5. key — the most important part
  6. object — an aim
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — in sport
  9. charge — a price
  10. chest — a box
  11. chest — of your body
  12. charge — in control
  13. chest — of your body
  14. object — a thing
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. key — in music
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. charge — electricity

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