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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. ground — the earth
  3. key — for a lock
  4. last — finally
  5. charge — a price
  6. key — the most important part
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ball — a dance
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. rest — a break
  11. last — final
  12. tube — the underground
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. charge — electricity
  16. rest — what's left
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ground — a position
  19. tube — a container
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. rest — what's left
  23. last — to go on
  24. key — in music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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