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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — the tool
  7. sharp — clever
  8. fine — high quality
  9. charge — in control
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. rock — music
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. drill — a practice
  18. fine — all right
  19. wake — a trail
  20. content — happy
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. charge — a price
  24. fine — a penalty

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