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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. season — in sport
  3. file — a line of people
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. charge — a price
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — the amount
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. rock — music
  10. file — a document
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a great time
  13. season — of the year
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. content — happy
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. kid — child
  19. charge — electricity
  20. club — a group
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. file — a tool
  23. kid — to tease
  24. rock — a stone

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