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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. mug — to rob
  5. scale — size or range
  6. season — of the year
  7. content — happy
  8. pop — to visit
  9. scale — in music
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. mug — a face
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. season — in sport
  14. charge — in control
  15. mug — a cup
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — the amount
  18. pop — soda
  19. shower — to wash
  20. pop — music
  21. shower — rain
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. charge — a price
  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