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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. charge — electricity
  3. row — a line
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. root — of a plant
  7. content — happy
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — a price
  10. root — the cause
  11. court — of a king
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. court — of law
  14. firm — a company
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. march — the month
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. row — to paddle
  21. court — for sport
  22. root — of a word
  23. content — the amount
  24. firm — decided

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