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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. charge — in control
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. content — the amount
  7. charge — a price
  8. fine — all right
  9. content — happy
  10. band — a ring
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. band — a music group
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. fine — high quality
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. charge — electricity
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — goods
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. straw — dry grass

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