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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bound — certain
  3. object — a thing
  4. charge — a price
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — the most important part
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bound — obliged
  10. march — the month
  11. bound — tied together
  12. march — music
  13. charge — electricity
  14. object — an aim
  15. charge — in control
  16. object — to protest
  17. pit — a hole
  18. cue — a signal
  19. march — the month
  20. cue — for pool
  21. key — in music
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — for dogs

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