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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. bass — low music
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. charge — a price
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. key — the most important part
  7. charge — electricity
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bulb — for light
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. key — in music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. charge — in control
  16. bulb — for light
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — to tease
  19. branch — a division
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bass — the fish
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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