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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. charge — a price
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. clip — a video
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. content — the amount
  8. pitch — completely
  9. clip — for paper
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. charge — in control
  15. clip — to cut
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. content — happy
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. deal — an agreement

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