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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — the most important part
  3. ground — a position
  4. charge — a price
  5. squash — to crush
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. craft — boats
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. charge — electricity
  10. plane — a tool
  11. rash — a series
  12. ground — the earth
  13. squash — the sport
  14. rash — hasty
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. ball — a great time
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. charge — in control
  21. key — for a lock
  22. craft — a skill
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ball — a dance

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