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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. fork — in a road
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. content — happy
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. content — the amount
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — a price
  13. band — a music group
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. ball — a great time
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. perch — the fish
  20. band — a ring
  21. cap — a hat
  22. ball — a dance
  23. charge — in control
  24. ball — a round shape

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