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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. charge — electricity
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. key — in music
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mate — a friend
  12. charge — a price
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. saw — the tool
  15. court — of law
  16. sharp — clever
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. court — for sport
  21. fork — in a road
  22. court — of a king
  23. charge — in control
  24. fork — a garden tool

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