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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. kick — in football
  3. bulb — for light
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. content — the amount
  6. net — in sport
  7. content — happy
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. charge — electricity
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. drill — a practice
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. charge — in control
  16. bulb — for light
  17. drill — the tool
  18. charge — a price
  19. net — for catching
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. net — after costs
  24. mark — a grade

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