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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. vault — a safe
  3. charge — in control
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. chest — of your body
  7. file — a tool
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. charge — a price
  10. net — after costs
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. chip — for betting
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. content — the amount
  15. file — a document
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. file — a line of people
  18. pass — a permit
  19. chest — a box
  20. chest — of your body
  21. net — for catching
  22. content — happy
  23. chip — to eat
  24. charge — electricity

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