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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. staff — a stick
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. ground — the earth
  6. key — the most important part
  7. club — a group
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. key — in music
  10. staff — employees
  11. charge — electricity
  12. staff — employees
  13. face — to confront
  14. game — a match
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — crushed
  17. club — for dancing
  18. charge — a price
  19. face — to point toward
  20. pitch — completely
  21. game — wild animals
  22. charge — in control
  23. club — for golf
  24. face — part of the head

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