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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. season — of the year
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ground — the earth
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ground — a position
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — in control
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. season — in sport
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. key — in music
  16. tube — a container
  17. charge — a price
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. key — for a lock
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. tube — the underground
  23. hand — in cards
  24. key — the most important part

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