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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. key — for a lock
  3. charge — in control
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stock — shares
  6. charge — a price
  7. stock — goods
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. vault — a safe
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. key — the most important part
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. squash — to crush
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. chair — a leader
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. charge — electricity
  20. key — in music
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. squash — the sport

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