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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — in cards
  4. swing — music
  5. charge — a price
  6. hand — help
  7. content — happy
  8. can — a tin
  9. swing — in golf
  10. can — a tin
  11. content — the amount
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. swing — to play on
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. can — to be able to
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — child
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — electricity
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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