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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. swing — in golf
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. sharp — clever
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. swing — music
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. content — the amount
  17. key — the most important part
  18. content — happy
  19. charge — a price
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. swing — to play on
  22. charge — electricity
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. wake — a trail

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