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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 knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. content — the amount
  3. charge — in control
  4. staff — a stick
  5. key — for a lock
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. staff — employees
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. staff — employees
  12. drill — the tool
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. drill — a practice
  15. key — the most important part
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. drill — army training
  18. wake — a trail
  19. content — happy
  20. bulb — for light
  21. charge — a price
  22. key — in music
  23. sharp — clever
  24. charge — electricity

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