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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 116 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bat — the animal
  3. key — in music
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. pound — a weight
  7. charge — a price
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. can — a tin
  11. key — the most important part
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. charge — electricity
  14. can — a tin
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. key — for a lock
  18. straw — a straw man

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