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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. key — for a lock
  4. charge — in control
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. file — a line of people
  10. key — the most important part
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. spring — the season
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rush — hurry
  16. spring — a coil
  17. craft — boats
  18. charge — electricity
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a tool
  21. key — in music
  22. craft — a skill
  23. spring — of water
  24. charge — a price

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