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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. charge — in control
  3. key — the most important part
  4. prune — to trim
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. charge — electricity
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. file — a document
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. key — in music
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — wild animals
  15. key — for a lock
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — for digging
  19. charge — a price
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a tool
  22. game — a match
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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