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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. key — the most important part
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — a price
  7. ground — the earth
  8. kid — to tease
  9. row — a line
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. mark — a grade
  14. scale — size or range
  15. kid — child
  16. ball — a great time
  17. key — in music
  18. ground — crushed
  19. key — for a lock
  20. row — to paddle
  21. mark — a trace
  22. ball — a dance
  23. charge — electricity
  24. ground — a position

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