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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a great time
  4. key — for a lock
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. present — the time now
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bank — for money
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. spell — magic
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. spell — letters
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — in control
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bank — for money
  18. key — in music
  19. bank — of a river
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — there
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. key — the most important part

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