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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: bat · cell · nail · content · bowl · key · charge · hide

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. charge — a price
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. key — for a lock
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — happy
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. charge — in control
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bat — the animal
  15. charge — electricity
  16. cell — in biology
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. key — in music
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. hide — animal skin

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