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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — in control
  4. track — to keep track
  5. charge — electricity
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. key — in music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. staff — employees
  11. race — the arms race
  12. key — the most important part
  13. staff — employees
  14. track — a path
  15. race — humankind
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bass — low music
  19. track — a song
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. staff — a stick
  22. race — a contest
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bass — the fish

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