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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bass — low music
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. charge — a price
  7. board — a committee
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. current — happening now
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. content — the amount
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bass — the fish
  18. board — to get on
  19. rash — a series
  20. current — electric
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. charge — in control
  23. content — happy
  24. current — of water

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