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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. charge — in control
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. ball — a dance
  7. content — happy
  8. bound — tied together
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. bound — certain
  11. content — the amount
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. charge — a price
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bound — obliged
  17. pitch — completely
  18. toast — bread
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. ball — a great time
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wound — an injury
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. charge — electricity

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