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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. key — the most important part
  3. pit — in a race
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. cap — of ice
  7. charge — a price
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. row — to paddle
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — music
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. cap — a hat
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. scale — size or range
  16. row — a line
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. charge — in control
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pop — soda
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pit — a hole
  24. cap — a lid

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