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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. ground — a position
  3. spring — the season
  4. key — the most important part
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — of water
  7. key — for a lock
  8. ground — the earth
  9. foot — a measure
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. key — in music
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bass — low music
  16. ground — crushed
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. charge — a price
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. branch — a division
  23. bass — the fish
  24. branch — of a tree

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