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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a dance
  5. key — for a lock
  6. rash — hasty
  7. charge — electricity
  8. key — the most important part
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — a series
  12. fall — the season
  13. pound — a weight
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — in control
  16. season — of the year
  17. fall — to drop
  18. key — in music
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. season — in sport
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pitcher — a jug

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