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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bulb — for light
  4. firm — a company
  5. charge — a price
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. firm — decided
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. key — the most important part
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bulb — for light
  12. ground — a position
  13. hand — in cards
  14. key — for a lock
  15. firm — steady
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. mine — for digging
  19. charge — in control
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. key — in music
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. ground — the earth
  24. mine — belonging to me

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