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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: content · mine · key · patient · craft · pit · track · charge

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. key — in music
  3. craft — boats
  4. key — the most important part
  5. charge — in control
  6. pit — in a race
  7. charge — a price
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. key — for a lock
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. track — to keep track
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — the amount
  14. track — a path
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. charge — electricity
  18. content — happy
  19. mine — for digging
  20. pit — a hole
  21. craft — a skill
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. patient — a sick person

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