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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: game · charge · court · object · date · staff · rest · key

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  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. staff — a stick
  2. rest — a break
  3. object — a thing
  4. key — the most important part
  5. charge — a price
  6. key — for a lock
  7. court — of a king
  8. date — the fruit
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. staff — employees
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. object — an aim
  14. charge — electricity
  15. game — wild animals
  16. charge — in control
  17. staff — employees
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. court — of law
  20. object — to protest
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. court — for sport
  23. game — a match
  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