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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. content — happy
  5. court — of a king
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. charge — in control
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. can — a tin
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. saw — the tool
  15. court — of law
  16. charge — electricity
  17. content — the amount
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. court — for sport
  21. can — a tin
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. charge — a price
  24. pitch — a sports field

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