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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. net — after costs
  3. track — a path
  4. charge — electricity
  5. key — in music
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bank — of a river
  8. cue — a hint
  9. key — the most important part
  10. track — to keep track
  11. net — for catching
  12. cue — a signal
  13. track — a song
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of a king
  16. net — in sport
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. court — of law
  23. charge — in control
  24. key — for a lock

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