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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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. content — videos and posts
  4. squash — the sport
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. content — the amount
  7. can — a tin
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. scale — in music
  10. charge — electricity
  11. key — in music
  12. squash — to crush
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. charge — a price
  15. can — a tin
  16. season — of the year
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. mine — for digging
  19. key — for a lock
  20. can — to be able to
  21. key — the most important part
  22. scale — size or range
  23. season — in sport
  24. mine — belonging to me

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