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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 116 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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — electricity
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. court — for sport
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bass — low music
  8. mark — a trace
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — a lid
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. rest — a break
  13. court — of law
  14. charge — in control
  15. content — happy
  16. bore — to drill
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. court — of a king
  20. content — the amount
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bore — to tire
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. rest — what's left

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