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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. clip — a video
  3. shower — to wash
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for golf
  8. shower — rain
  9. charge — electricity
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. key — in music
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. charge — a price
  19. key — the most important part
  20. clip — to cut
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. clip — for paper
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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