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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. charge — a price
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. pit — a hole
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. squash — to crush
  9. craft — a skill
  10. content — happy
  11. field — for sport
  12. craft — boats
  13. pit — in a race
  14. field — farmland
  15. content — the amount
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. charge — in control
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. fine — all right
  20. charge — electricity
  21. field — a subject
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. squash — the sport

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