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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — the amount
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. court — for sport
  5. band — a music group
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pitch — completely
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. content — happy
  10. deal — to handle
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. court — of a king
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. charge — in control
  15. chair — a leader
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. band — a ring
  18. court — of law
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. charge — electricity
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. charge — a price
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. deal — a big deal

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