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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: fan · toast · game · wound · date · charge · roll · key

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. date — the fruit
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. toast — bread
  5. charge — in control
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — in music
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. charge — electricity
  10. game — wild animals
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. key — for a lock
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. roll — a list
  18. roll — a cake
  19. charge — a price
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wound — an injury
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. wound — an injury

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