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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: can · file · toast · key · date · bat · bulb · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. file — a line of people
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — in music
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. can — a tin
  13. charge — electricity
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. can — a tin
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bat — the animal
  21. toast — bread
  22. charge — in control
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a document

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