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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — for a lock
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — in control
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. band — a music group
  9. cap — a lid
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. cap — of ice
  12. charge — a price
  13. foot — a measure
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. band — a ring
  16. key — in music
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. cap — a hat
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. saw — the tool
  23. prune — to trim
  24. foot — part of the body

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