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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 116 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pop — to visit
  7. game — a match
  8. key — the most important part
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wake — a trail
  11. charge — a price
  12. object — to protest
  13. bound — obliged
  14. key — for a lock
  15. charge — electricity
  16. game — wild animals
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. key — in music
  19. pop — music
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. object — a thing
  23. pop — soda
  24. object — an aim

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