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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. mark — a trace
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — a gift
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. plane — a tool
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — a price
  11. degree — an amount
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. present — there
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. charge — electricity
  18. content — the amount
  19. mark — a grade
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. degree — temperature
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. degree — from a university
  24. content — videos and posts

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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