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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 116 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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. present — a gift
  2. rash — a series
  3. charge — a price
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pop — music
  7. key — for a lock
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. charge — electricity
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. key — the most important part
  15. last — to go on
  16. key — in music
  17. charge — in control
  18. last — final
  19. pop — soda
  20. last — finally
  21. rash — hasty
  22. pop — to visit
  23. present — there
  24. present — the time now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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