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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — in music
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — farmland
  8. charge — a price
  9. can — a tin
  10. charge — in control
  11. bear — the animal
  12. field — for sport
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wake — a trail
  23. can — a tin
  24. fan — to cool the air

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