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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 124 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pound · key · row · cell · rest · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. rest — a break
  3. cell — a phone
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — the most important part
  6. row — to paddle
  7. cell — in biology
  8. charge — electricity
  9. key — in music
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pound — a weight
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. row — a line
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. charge — a price
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. row — a quarrel

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