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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 120 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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. staff — a stick
  3. charge — a price
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bass — the fish
  6. charge — electricity
  7. sharp — clever
  8. key — in music
  9. kid — to tease
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. staff — employees
  12. charge — in control
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. key — for a lock
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bass — low music
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. staff — employees
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. key — the most important part

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