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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. charge — a price
  5. net — for catching
  6. key — the most important part
  7. rule — government
  8. key — for a lock
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — a law
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. net — after costs
  13. lie — to recline
  14. tube — a container
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. fork — in a road
  20. net — in sport
  21. charge — electricity
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. charge — in control

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