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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 116 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  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 — in control
  2. rock — music
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. season — of the year
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — a price
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wind — moving air
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. field — farmland
  14. wind — moving air
  15. season — in sport
  16. field — a subject
  17. rush — hurry
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. field — for sport
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — a stone
  23. calf — a young animal
  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