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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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Word bank
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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. key — the most important part
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — in control
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — to bear
  9. root — of a word
  10. club — a group
  11. root — the cause
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. key — in music
  15. club — for golf
  16. charge — a price
  17. key — for a lock
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — a hole
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. club — for dancing
  23. root — of a plant
  24. pit — in a race

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