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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. drill — army training
  3. key — for a lock
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. court — for sport
  6. drill — a practice
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. charge — in control
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. key — the most important part
  11. shower — to wash
  12. court — of a king
  13. charge — electricity
  14. shower — rain
  15. current — of water
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. key — in music
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. drill — the tool
  21. current — electric
  22. fork — in a road
  23. court — of law
  24. current — happening now

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