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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. tube — the underground
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. key — in music
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. key — the most important part
  7. band — a music group
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. scale — size or range
  10. charge — a price
  11. key — for a lock
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. pound — a weight
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. tube — a container
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. court — of law
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. band — a ring
  22. court — for sport
  23. charge — in control
  24. court — of a king

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