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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. charge — electricity
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. date — the fruit
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. swing — music
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. charge — a price
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. charge — in control
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. content — the amount

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