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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — for a lock
  5. charge — a price
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. capital — a city
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bound — obliged
  10. key — in music
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. perch — the fish
  14. charge — in control
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. capital — money
  19. wake — a trail
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — tied together

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