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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 116 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. charge — in control
  3. hand — in cards
  4. craft — a skill
  5. hand — help
  6. charge — electricity
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. charge — a price
  10. present — there
  11. tube — a container
  12. key — the most important part
  13. tube — the underground
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. key — in music
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. present — a gift
  21. dip — to sink
  22. kid — to tease
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. present — the time now

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