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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. charge — in control
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. key — for a lock
  5. mug — to rob
  6. net — after costs
  7. key — the most important part
  8. fine — all right
  9. season — of the year
  10. pop — to visit
  11. root — of a word
  12. pop — soda
  13. fine — high quality
  14. key — in music
  15. root — of a plant
  16. mug — a face
  17. pop — music
  18. net — in sport
  19. charge — electricity
  20. season — in sport
  21. root — the cause
  22. charge — a price
  23. net — for catching
  24. season — to add flavour

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