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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 120 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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. band — a music group
  3. key — the most important part
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. net — after costs
  6. key — for a lock
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. field — for sport
  11. band — a ring
  12. charge — a price
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. net — for catching
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — a subject
  21. net — in sport
  22. bark — to shout
  23. key — in music
  24. charge — electricity

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