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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. current — happening now
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. vault — a safe
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. content — the amount
  18. charge — a price
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. charge — in control
  22. pitch — completely
  23. content — happy
  24. pitch — a sales talk

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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