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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: chest · pass · sharp · game · cue · charge · stem · key

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. charge — a price
  3. pass — a permit
  4. stem — to come from
  5. key — in music
  6. game — wild animals
  7. charge — in control
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. cue — a signal
  10. key — for a lock
  11. charge — electricity
  12. game — a match
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. cue — a hint
  16. chest — a box
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. key — the most important part
  21. sharp — clever
  22. cue — for pool
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. chest — of your body

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