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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. key — in music
  4. wake — a trail
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bass — low music
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. saw — the tool
  14. charge — electricity
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — in control
  24. key — for a lock

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