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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. season — in sport
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. key — for a lock
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bass — low music
  7. key — in music
  8. bound — tied together
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to point toward
  11. season — of the year
  12. charge — in control
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bound — obliged
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bass — the fish
  19. stock — goods
  20. face — to confront
  21. stock — shares
  22. bound — certain
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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