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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. key — for a lock
  3. staff — a stick
  4. key — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. march — the month
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. charge — electricity
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. charge — a price
  11. fine — high quality
  12. staff — employees
  13. fine — all right
  14. key — the most important part
  15. march — the month
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. staff — employees
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. march — music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — in music
  24. fine — a penalty

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