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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.

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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. charge — electricity
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. degree — from a university
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — a short time
  7. degree — an amount
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. key — the most important part
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. net — after costs
  12. charge — in control
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — in music
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. net — in sport
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. net — for catching
  19. degree — temperature
  20. pass — a permit
  21. charge — a price
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. spell — magic
  24. coach — a trainer

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