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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 120 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. charge — electricity
  4. march — the month
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — the most important part
  8. march — the month
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. march — music
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. sharp — clever
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — to shout
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — a price

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