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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.

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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. charge — electricity
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. spring — the season
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. net — in sport
  9. spring — a coil
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. spring — of water
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. sharp — clever
  14. charge — in control
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. chair — a leader
  17. key — the most important part
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. cue — a hint
  20. net — for catching
  21. cue — for pool
  22. charge — a price
  23. cue — a signal
  24. net — after costs

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