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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. key — for a lock
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. track — a song
  5. charge — a price
  6. track — a path
  7. track — to keep track
  8. net — after costs
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stand — to bear
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. charge — electricity
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. net — in sport
  18. key — the most important part
  19. hand — help
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. charge — in control
  22. net — for catching
  23. key — in music
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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