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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. saw — the tool
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — a price
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. charge — in control
  9. mark — a grade
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bank — for money
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. content — happy
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bank — of a river
  20. content — the amount
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bank — for money
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. mine — belonging to me

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