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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. roll — a cake
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. cell — a phone
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bat — the animal
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bulb — for light
  15. key — in music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. charge — a price
  18. roll — a list
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. charge — in control
  24. bat — in an idiom

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