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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. charge — a price
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — a law
  5. content — happy
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. club — for dancing
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. date — the fruit
  11. key — in music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. content — the amount
  17. charge — in control
  18. key — the most important part
  19. charge — electricity
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for golf
  22. scale — in music
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. scale — size or range

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