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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fork — in a road
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — in control
  5. key — for a lock
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. key — in music
  8. scale — in music
  9. file — a tool
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. file — a document
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — completely
  17. club — for dancing
  18. charge — electricity
  19. scale — size or range
  20. club — a group
  21. key — the most important part
  22. club — for golf
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. file — a line of people

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