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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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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. wound — an injury
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. wound — an injury
  6. march — the month
  7. charge — electricity
  8. fork — in a road
  9. charge — a price
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — steady
  13. charge — in control
  14. key — in music
  15. march — the month
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. firm — decided
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lean — thin
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. march — music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. lean — to bend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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