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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. wind — moving air
  3. charge — a price
  4. object — to protest
  5. cap — a lid
  6. object — a thing
  7. charge — in control
  8. ground — the earth
  9. object — an aim
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bear — the animal
  12. key — the most important part
  13. ground — a position
  14. cap — a hat
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. charge — electricity
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wind — moving air
  19. key — in music
  20. ground — crushed
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cap — of ice

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