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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. charge — electricity
  3. game — a match
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. rock — music
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. charge — in control
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. key — in music
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. key — the most important part
  19. rock — a stone
  20. kid — child
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. charge — a price
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. rock — to move gently

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