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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. season — of the year
  4. charge — a price
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — electricity
  11. season — in sport
  12. key — for a lock
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. key — the most important part
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. pit — a hole
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. pit — in a race
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mine — for digging
  24. calf — a young animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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