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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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. land — ground
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bank — for money
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — for a lock
  7. charge — electricity
  8. key — in music
  9. land — a country
  10. season — of the year
  11. mark — a grade
  12. charge — a price
  13. bank — of a river
  14. charge — in control
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bank — for money
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — a safe
  20. rush — hurry
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. land — to come down

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