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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. track — to keep track
  3. cap — of ice
  4. shower — rain
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cap — a hat
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. season — in sport
  9. track — a path
  10. charge — in control
  11. key — the most important part
  12. cell — in biology
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — in music
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. charge — a price
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. cap — a lid
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. season — of the year
  22. track — a song
  23. cell — a phone
  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