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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: charge · can · key · stick · ball · cold

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. ball — a dance
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. cold — not warm
  6. ball — a great time
  7. key — for a lock
  8. charge — a price
  9. can — to be able to
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. key — in music
  15. key — the most important part
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — electricity

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