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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. content — the amount
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. scale — in music
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — a price
  7. scale — size or range
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — of the year
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. drill — army training
  20. charge — in control
  21. club — a group
  22. content — happy
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. club — for golf

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