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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 120 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. charge — a price
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — a line
  8. lean — to bend
  9. can — a tin
  10. content — happy
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — a weight
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. content — the amount
  16. charge — in control
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — thin
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. can — to be able to
  22. row — to paddle
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. charge — electricity

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