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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. charge — a price
  4. content — the amount
  5. clip — to cut
  6. content — happy
  7. charge — in control
  8. clip — for paper
  9. hand — help
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. firm — a company
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. clip — a video
  15. firm — decided
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. firm — steady
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — in music
  22. charge — electricity
  23. hand — in cards
  24. cabinet — ministers

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