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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 116 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. content — happy
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. pitch — completely
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. snap — to click
  11. content — the amount
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. charge — electricity
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. rest — what's left
  17. charge — a price
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cell — in biology
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. cell — a phone
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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