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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. charge — a price
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — for paper
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bank — for money
  8. bound — tied together
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bound — certain
  14. charge — in control
  15. bank — of a river
  16. key — for a lock
  17. clip — to cut
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bank — for money
  21. bound — obliged
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bass — low music
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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