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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — electricity
  3. wake — a trail
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bear — the animal
  6. march — the month
  7. sharp — clever
  8. key — in music
  9. charge — in control
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. scale — in music
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. scale — size or range
  17. march — the month
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bear — the animal
  23. march — music
  24. racket — for tennis

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