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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. band — a music group
  3. charge — electricity
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. key — for a lock
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rock — music
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. charge — a price
  13. band — a ring
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. key — in music
  17. toast — bread
  18. lie — to recline
  19. rock — a stone
  20. charge — in control
  21. scale — in music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pitcher — a jug

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