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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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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. present — a gift
  3. content — the amount
  4. board — a committee
  5. present — there
  6. key — the most important part
  7. stand — to bear
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of law
  15. content — happy
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. present — the time now
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. board — to get on
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. charge — a price
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. key — in music

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