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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. club — for golf
  4. content — happy
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. ball — a dance
  7. march — the month
  8. charge — in control
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. club — a group
  11. march — the month
  12. club — for dancing
  13. race — a contest
  14. charge — electricity
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. chip — for betting
  18. march — music
  19. charge — a price
  20. race — humankind
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. ball — a great time
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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