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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. court — of law
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. content — the amount
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. court — of a king
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. track — a song
  13. staff — employees
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. track — a path
  17. staff — a stick
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. track — to keep track
  22. court — for sport
  23. content — happy
  24. charge — in control

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