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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. charge — in control
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. charge — electricity
  8. content — the amount
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. kick — in football
  11. court — of a king
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. charge — a price
  16. court — for sport
  17. content — happy
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. can — a tin
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. court — of law
  24. mine — for digging

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