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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. hand — help
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. key — the most important part
  7. land — a country
  8. charge — electricity
  9. key — for a lock
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. staff — employees
  12. land — ground
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — there
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. charge — in control
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. staff — a stick
  19. charge — a price
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. key — in music
  22. hand — in cards
  23. land — to come down
  24. present — the time 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