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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. key — for a lock
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. toast — bread
  5. charge — a price
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — of law
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. chest — a box
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. chest — of your body
  17. land — a country
  18. land — to come down
  19. key — in music
  20. chest — of your body
  21. court — for sport
  22. land — ground
  23. key — the most important part
  24. charge — in control

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