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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: wake · spring · charge · clip · ball · pop · bay · key

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. charge — a price
  4. key — the most important part
  5. clip — to cut
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — the season
  8. clip — a video
  9. spring — a coil
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. key — in music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — music
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. wake — a trail
  17. ball — a great time
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. ball — a dance
  21. pop — soda
  22. key — for a lock
  23. clip — for paper
  24. ball — a round shape

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