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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. key — for a lock
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — a price
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. scale — size or range
  12. key — in music
  13. spell — magic
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. key — the most important part
  17. spell — a short time
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. spell — letters
  23. scale — in music
  24. patient — a sick person

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