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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — a price
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. scale — in music
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. scale — size or range
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. sharp — clever
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. key — in music
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. charge — electricity
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bat — the animal
  23. key — the most important part
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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