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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. march — music
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — the most important part
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rash — a series
  11. bat — the animal
  12. club — for dancing
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. club — for golf
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — electricity
  18. key — in music
  19. march — the month
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. march — the month
  23. club — a group
  24. charge — in control

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