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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. foot — a measure
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. key — for a lock
  5. charge — in control
  6. key — in music
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — a price
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. squash — to crush
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. stem — to come from
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. kick — in football
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. key — the most important part

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