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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: object · rock · charge · key · stem · bat · game · sharp

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. object — to protest
  4. charge — electricity
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bat — the animal
  15. game — a match
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — a price
  19. rock — music
  20. object — a thing
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. key — for a lock
  24. object — an aim

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