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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. foot — a measure
  5. charge — electricity
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. key — the most important part
  12. hand — in cards
  13. key — for a lock
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. key — in music
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. charge — in control
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. charge — a price
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pitcher — a jug

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