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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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Word bank
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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. season — of the year
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. cue — a hint
  5. track — to keep track
  6. tear — from crying
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. plane — a tool
  9. track — a song
  10. charge — in control
  11. tear — from crying
  12. track — a path
  13. scale — in music
  14. cue — for pool
  15. season — in sport
  16. scale — size or range
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — in music
  19. charge — a price
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. cue — a signal
  23. tear — to rip
  24. key — for a lock

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