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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. content — happy
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. charge — a price
  5. mine — for digging
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. charge — in control
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. content — the amount
  18. safe — out of danger

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