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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. club — for dancing
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — a permit
  5. net — in sport
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. key — the most important part
  8. last — to go on
  9. kid — to tease
  10. charge — a price
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — after costs
  13. charge — electricity
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. key — for a lock
  16. club — a group
  17. last — final
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. kid — child
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. last — finally
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. key — in music
  24. club — for golf

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