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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. charge — a price
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — the amount
  8. rock — a stone
  9. vault — a safe
  10. field — a subject
  11. rock — music
  12. charge — in control
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. field — farmland
  15. charge — electricity
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. content — happy
  21. field — for sport
  22. game — a match
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rock — to move gently

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