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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 124 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — to fit
  4. saw — the tool
  5. capital — money
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. dip — to sink
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. suit — in cards
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. capital — a city
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — happy
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. charge — a price

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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