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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. sharp — clever
  3. cold — an illness
  4. object — to protest
  5. key — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. season — of the year
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. cue — a hint
  12. key — the most important part
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. roll — a cake
  15. season — in sport
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. roll — a list
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — for pool
  20. object — a thing
  21. charge — electricity
  22. object — an aim
  23. charge — a price
  24. cold — not warm

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