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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. field — a subject
  3. drill — the tool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. key — in music
  7. charge — electricity
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. cue — for pool
  11. stand — to bear
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. key — the most important part
  14. field — for sport
  15. key — for a lock
  16. field — farmland
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. charge — a price
  19. drill — a practice
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. cue — a signal
  23. drill — army training
  24. safe — out of danger

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