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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. rest — a break
  3. key — the most important part
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. season — in sport
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. season — of the year
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. key — for a lock
  12. charge — electricity
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. charge — in control
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — the cause
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. root — of a word
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bat — the animal
  24. key — in music

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