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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. rock — music
  3. charge — electricity
  4. suit — in cards
  5. key — for a lock
  6. rock — a stone
  7. key — the most important part
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. mark — a grade
  10. key — in music
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. last — finally
  15. suit — to fit
  16. charge — a price
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. mark — a trace
  20. last — final
  21. charge — in control
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. suit — clothes

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