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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 116 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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — the most important part
  4. net — for catching
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mate — a partner
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pound — a weight
  9. mate — a friend
  10. fall — the season
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. key — in music
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. charge — in control
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. mate — to breed
  23. fall — to drop
  24. charge — electricity

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