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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. content — the amount
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in biology
  5. charge — a price
  6. rash — a series
  7. charge — electricity
  8. content — happy
  9. march — music
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. march — the month
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pit — a hole
  17. rash — hasty
  18. pit — in a race
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. march — the month
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. charge — in control
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. cabinet — ministers

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