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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. content — happy
  3. cap — of ice
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — to drill
  8. cap — a lid
  9. content — the amount
  10. bat — the animal
  11. charge — electricity
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. charge — a price
  14. cap — a hat
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. chest — a box
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pitcher — a jug

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