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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ball — a great time
  3. charge — in control
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. pop — soda
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. key — the most important part
  8. ball — a dance
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — a price
  12. key — in music
  13. spring — the season
  14. last — final
  15. last — to go on
  16. key — for a lock
  17. spring — a coil
  18. pop — to visit
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pop — music
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. spring — of water
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. last — finally

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