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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. content — the amount
  3. charge — in control
  4. cap — a lid
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. charge — electricity
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. scale — in music
  12. content — happy
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. scale — size or range
  15. game — wild animals
  16. snap — to click
  17. charge — a price
  18. stem — to come from
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. game — a match
  22. cap — a hat
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. cap — of ice

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