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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 120 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. board — to get on
  3. field — for sport
  4. kick — in football
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — to play on
  7. field — a subject
  8. swing — in golf
  9. charge — electricity
  10. content — the amount
  11. field — farmland
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. court — for sport
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. court — of law
  17. board — a committee
  18. court — of a king
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. charge — a price
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. content — happy
  24. charge — in control

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