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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. key — the most important part
  4. scale — in music
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — in sport
  8. club — for golf
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. key — in music
  11. club — for dancing
  12. charge — in control
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. scale — size or range
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. key — for a lock
  19. charge — electricity
  20. net — after costs
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — clever
  23. charge — a price
  24. club — a group

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