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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. scale — size or range
  3. suit — to fit
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. key — the most important part
  6. march — music
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — in control
  9. net — after costs
  10. march — the month
  11. can — a tin
  12. key — in music
  13. charge — a price
  14. suit — clothes
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. can — a tin
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. can — to be able to
  19. net — for catching
  20. suit — in cards
  21. key — for a lock
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — in music
  24. march — the month

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