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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. suit — to fit
  3. charge — electricity
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. last — final
  7. key — for a lock
  8. track — a song
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. prune — to trim
  12. suit — in cards
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. last — finally
  16. track — a path
  17. track — to keep track
  18. charge — a price
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. suit — clothes
  22. last — to go on
  23. charge — in control
  24. cell — in biology

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