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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. charge — in control
  4. field — for sport
  5. staff — a stick
  6. key — the most important part
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. charge — electricity
  11. staff — employees
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. charge — a price
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — a subject
  21. bulb — for light
  22. key — in music
  23. staff — employees
  24. mine — for digging

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