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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: charge · game · leaves · clip · craft · bulb · cue · key

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. game — wild animals
  3. key — for a lock
  4. clip — a video
  5. charge — a price
  6. game — a match
  7. key — in music
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bulb — for light
  12. craft — a skill
  13. clip — to cut
  14. clip — for paper
  15. cue — a hint
  16. charge — in control
  17. craft — boats
  18. cue — for pool
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. key — the most important part
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bulb — for light

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