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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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Word bank
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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. ground — crushed
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — electricity
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. key — the most important part
  9. land — ground
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pit — a hole
  12. rock — music
  13. ground — a position
  14. pit — in a race
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. key — in music
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. charge — in control
  21. ground — the earth
  22. rock — a stone
  23. land — a country
  24. land — to come down

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