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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 piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. cold — not warm
  3. bank — for money
  4. charge — electricity
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. root — the cause
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. root — of a plant
  9. swing — music
  10. cold — an illness
  11. swing — to play on
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mark — a grade
  14. swing — in golf
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — a price
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bank — of a river
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bank — for money
  21. root — of a word
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. key — the most important part
  24. mark — a trace

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