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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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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: stick · bulb · wax · cell · drill · charge · club · key

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cell — in biology
  5. club — a group
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. drill — the tool
  9. key — for a lock
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — in music
  13. drill — a practice
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — to grow
  16. charge — in control
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. club — for dancing
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. cell — a phone
  21. charge — a price
  22. drill — army training
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. club — for golf

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