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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bear — the animal
  4. charge — a price
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. pass — a permit
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — a weight
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. key — for a lock
  14. season — in sport
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. key — in music
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. charge — in control
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. game — a match
  22. game — wild animals
  23. key — the most important part
  24. sharp — clever

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